The earlier editions of this book have been used by successive generations of students for more than 20 years, and it is the standard text on the subject in most British universities and many others throughout the world. The study of sediments and sedimentary rocks continues to be a core topic in the Earth Sciences and this book aims to provide a concise account of their composition, mineralogy, textures, structures, diagenesis and depositional environments. This latest edition is noteworthy for the inclusion of 16 plates with 54 colour photomicrographs of sedimentary rocks in thin-section. These bring sediments to life and show their beauty and colorful appearance down the microscope; they will aid the student enormously in laboratory petrographic work. The text has been revised where necessary and the reference and further reading lists brought up-to-date. New tables have been included to help undergraduates with rock and thin-section description and interpretation.