Many students will find this comprehensive and carefully structured volume helpful when used with other sources of ideas and explanation. It aims to cover all the pure maths contents of all single-subject A-level mathematics syllabuses, so it is pitching for a wide and diverse audience.

Topics are presented in a sensible order with basic calculus coming immediately after GCSE revision and introductions to polynomial functions and co-ordinate geometry. A pattern of brief exposition followed by examples and graded exercises is used throughout, on the asssumption that most students using the text will be working with a teacher who will supply more interpretation and contextual examples than this already quite bulky handbook can provide.

Richard Choat is a senior teacher at William Ellis School, north London (part of the LaSWAP sixth-form consortium)