Astrophysical Institute, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel, Belgium

The monograph describes in extenso the present state of massive star research seen from the standpoint of stellar evolution, with special emphasis on close binaries. Statistics of massive close binaries are reasonably complete for the Solar neighbourhood. We demonstrate that within our knowledge, many scientific results where the effect of binaries are ignored, have an academic value but may be far from reality.

In chapter I, we summarize general observations of massive stars where we focus on the HR diagram, stellar wind mass loss rates, the stellar surface chemistry, rotation, circumstellar environments, supernovae.

Close binaries can not be studied separately from single stars and vice versa. First, the evolution of single stars is discussed (chapter II). We present new calculations with updated stellar wind mass loss rate formalisms. Especially the rates during the red supergiant phase and the rates during the Wolf-Rayet (WR) phase are different compared to previous values and this affects in a profound way the evolution during core helium burning. The computations are compared in detail to representative observations. The chapter ends with a general discussion on the effects of rotation on massive single star evolution.

Massive binaries, the main topic of the work, are considered in chapter III. Basic processes are described, i.e. the Roche lobe overflow and mass transfer, the common envelope process, the spiral-in process in binaries with extreme mass ratio, the mass accretion process and the merging process, the effect of the (asymmetric) supernova explosion of one of the components on the orbital parameters of the binary. Evolutionary computations of interacting close binaries are discussed and general conclusions are drawn. The enormous amount of observational data of massive binaries is summarized. We separately consider the non-evolved and evolved systems. The latter class includes the semi-detached and contact binaries, the WR binaries, the X-ray binaries, the runaways, the single and binary pulsars. A general comparison between theoretical evolution and observations is combined with a discussion of specially interesting binaries: the evolved binaries HD 163181, HD 12323, HD 14633, HD 193516, HD 25638, HD 209481,  Per and  Sgr; the WR+OB binaries ² Vel, V444 Cyg; the high mass X-ray binaries Vela X-1, Wray 977, Cyg X-1; the low mass X-ray binaries Her X-1 and those with a black hole candidate; the runaways Oph and Pup, the WR+compact companion candidates HD 50896 and Cyg X-3; the supernova event SN 1987A. We finally propose an overall evolutionary model of massive close binaries as a function of primary mass, mass ratio and orbital period.

The fourth chapter deals with massive star population synthesis with a realistic population of binaries. We discuss the massive close binary frequency, mass ratio and period distribution, the observations that allow to constrain possible asymmetries during the supernova explosion of a massive star. Observed star numbers (as a function of metallicity) are then compared to theoretically predicted numbers where we focus on stellar populations in regions of continuous star formation and in starburst regions. Special attention is given to the O-type star/WR star/red supergiant star population, the pulsar and binary pulsar population, the supernova rates.

The monograph counts 347 pages, contains a considerable amount of new results and will be useful as reference work for everybody working in the field of massive stars in general, in the field of massive binaries in particular. Our hope is that this book encourages youngish researchers to pursue binary research, rather than fall into the bottomless pit of extra-Galactic research, including the eternal and largely illusory quest for 'standard candles'. Probably the best standard candles are, or will be, massive OB eclipsing systems, which in principle are capable of giving distances independent of the usual chain of hypotheses.

The book is published by Kluwer (Dordrecht), ISBN 0-7923-5155-X and can be ordered on-line via www.wkap.nl.