In 1905, Albert Einstein published a series of papers that revolutionised physics. They demonstrated the existence of molecules as physical entities, started the thinking that led to quantum mechanics, and laid the foundations of Special Relativity. Einstein then spent the next decade developing his Theory of General Relativity – a work that arguably was his greatest achievement. A key feature of general relativity was the prediction of the existence of gravitational waves. More generally, this new theory of gravity has come to be universally recognised as giving our best description of the Universe.

Now, almost 100 years after Einstein introduced his theory, we are finally on the threshold of making direct detections of gravitational waves. This greatly anticipated achievement will enable us to make rigorous tests of general relativity, as well as give us a completely new way to view the Universe.

Advanced Gravitational Wave Detectors, gives us an up-to-date view of the science and techniques for making the first detections and then developing yet more sensitive future detectors. There are many ingenious ideas and advanced technologies incorporated into the large-scale instruments that are poised to detect gravitational waves. The detections will come from neutron stars, black holes or other such objects that were unknown in Einstein's time. The techniques will involve lasers, photodiodes and digital data acquisition systems, also unknown at that time. This comprehensive review, written by experts in gravitational waves physics, covers these topics in depth and will serve as a very good introduction for students, while at the same time, being a valuable resource for practitioners in the field.