This book is about black holes, one of the most intriguing objects of modern theoretical physics and astrophysics. For many years, black holes have been considered as interesting solutions of the Theory of General Relativity with a number of amusing mathematical properties. Now after the discovery of astrophysical black holes, the Einstein gravity has become an important tool for their study. This self-contained textbook combines physical, mathematical, and astrophysical aspects of black hole theory. Pedagogically presented, it contains "standard" material on black holes as well as relatively new subjects such as the role of hidden symmetries in black hole physics, and black holes in spacetimes with large extra dimensions. The book will appeal to students and young scientists interested in the theory of black holes.

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Valeri Frolov is Killam Memorial Chair and Professor of Physics at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Andrei Zelnikov is Research Associate at the Department of Physics at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

"I am quite enthusiastic about this book, and I cannot wait to buy a copy for myself. It would be fun to teach a graduate course on black holes based on this book ... it has a remarkable breadth, and it strikes an appealing balance between astrophysics, physics, and mathematics of black holes."

--Alexander Kusenko, University of California at Los Angeles