This substantial collection of papers owes its origins to the series of International Conferences on Tidal Sedimentology that were initiated back in 1973 by R. N. Ginsburg and which now takes place every four years, most recently in Qingdao, China (2008). Its rationale stems from the growing interest in tidal sedimentary environments and by the need for a more comprehensive synthesis that encompasses not only the well-studied sub-environments of the intertidal and shallow estuarine zone but also the hitherto less well-known tidally-influenced environments of the continental shelves and deep ocean. Of 21 chapters, four cover generic aspects of tidal constituents, tidal sediment transport, diagnostic tidal sedimentary signatures (tidalites), and the use of trace fossils as an indicator of tidal influence on sedimentation. The treatment of tidal constituents by Kvale is especially thoughtful, although it comes as something of a surprise to this reviewer to be told that geologists are still schooled largely in the theory of the equilibrium tide and that the dynamic tidal model represents something of a paradigm shift. We then have ten chapters covering the processes and facies of intertidal, estuarine, shallow marine and ocean environments. These treatments are uniformly excellent, and chapters by, inter alia, Fan on open-coast tidal flats, Bartholdy on saltmarshes, Hughes on tidal flat and saltmarsh channels, Reynaud and Dalymple on shallow marine tidal deposits and Dykstra on deep-water tidal sedimentology should be required reading for anyone working in these fields. A set of four chapters focuses on tidal sedimentation in the Precambrian, Carboniferous, Cretaceous and Eocene. Such studies are especially valuable on account of the inferences that can be drawn from studies of ancient tidalites concerning the nature of past tidal forcings as well as the broader-scale nature of past sedimentary exchanges between land and ocean. The final three chapters describe tidal sedimentation in carbonate environments, modern and ancient.

In addition to the quality of its individual contributions, the collection bears the hallmarks of strong editorial control. There is certainly a consistency in approach and also presentation that is lacking in so many edited volumes. The book is exceptionally well illustrated, and whilst the colouring of a few of the more conventional plots is of questionable benefit, the multitude of colour photographs and diagrams makes for a very attractive volume. The standard of production by Springer is high, as it should be given the price. Indeed, at £180 in the UK, this will put a hefty dent in any wallet. But Principles of Tidal Sedimentology provides a very welcome synthesis of recent advances in this field and is definitely a volume that anyone seriously interested in tidal sedimentology will want to have.