This long-awaited "second edition" of the classical textbook on "Stellar Structure and Evolution" by Kippenhahn and Weigert is a thoroughly revised version of the original text. Taking into account modern observational constraints as well as additional physical effects such as mass loss and diffusion, Achim Weiss and Rudolf Kippenhahn have succeeded in bringing the book up to the state-of-the-art with respect to both the presentation of stellar physics and the presentation and interpretation of current sophisticated stellar models. The well-received and proven pedagogical approach of the first edition has been retained.
The book provides a comprehensive treatment of the physics of the stellar interior and the underlying fundamental processes and parameters. The models developed to explain the stability, dynamics and evolution of the stars are presented and great care is taken to detail the various stages in a star's life. Just as the first edition, which remained a standard work for more than 20 years after its first publication, the second edition will be of lasting value not only for students but also for active researchers in astronomy and astrophysics.

Neither the formation process of "The First Stars" nor their existence in the present universe is known with any certainty. The authors of this volume address all open questions presenting an abundance of interesting data at the same time as giving a relatively exhaustive overview of our present-day knowledge. This covers research from spectroscopic observations, stellar evolutions, nucleosynthesis, structure and galaxy formation. The contributions shed new light on past views, often questioning traditional interpretations. Dealing with problems at the crossroads of cosmology, star formation and chemical evolution in stars, the book addresses astrophysicists and researchers, as well as graduate students. However, it should also be of interest to nuclear physicists and astrochemists.