The author would like to acknowledge the support he has gained from
the enthusiasm of the many students who have passed through the
research schools he has led at Imperial College and now Liverpool.
Many of these now run their own laser businesses, teach the subject
or have found other ways of making money from laser material
processing. This is one of the greatest pleasures an academic can have.
In help with this book he is particularly grateful to Dr. W, O'Neill for his
help in editing and correcting chapters 1 &2; to Prof D.Hall for guidance
on brightness; to Dr. R. Akhter for his help in editing and assembling
the illustrations for chapter 5; to Miss F. Fellowes for her help in
assembling and editing chapter 6 and the cover picture, which is of
silica powder blowing into a laser beam during the FOCAL process
which she helped to invent; to Dr. L. Li for his help in editing and
illustrating chapter 7; to Mrs. H. Garnet for helping with the typing of
this Camera Ready Copy (CRC), and last but not least to his wife,
Margaret, who created an ambience in which to live and complete this work.