Ideal for undergraduates of geotechnical engineering for civil engineers, this established textbook sets out the basic theories of soil mechanics in a clear and straightforward way; combining both classical and critical state theories and giving students a good grounding in the subject which will last right through into a career as a geotechnical engineer.

The subject is broken down into discrete topics which are presented in a series of short, focused chapters with clear and accessible text that develops from the purely theoretical to discussing practical applications. Soil behaviour is described by relatively simple equations with clear parameters while a number of worked examples and simple experimental demonstrations are included to illustrate the principles involved and aid reader understanding.

"Possibly the best text book for supporting an introductory course on soil mechanics, and one which is uniquely leavened by reference to everyday observations."

- David White, Géotechnique

John Atkinson is Professor of Soil Mechanics at City University, London. He has taught geotechnical engineering to undergraduates and postgraduates for over 30 years. He is expert in soil behaviour and laboratory testing of soils and he was the Rankine Lecturer in 2000. He has advised industry in many areas of geotechnical engineering and he is currently Visiting Senior Principal with Coffey Geotechnics.