Mars is the next target for planetary exploration, with three space missions planned for the years between 1992 and 1996. Past missions, such as Mariner and Viking, have already provided a wealth of data on the planet. Peter Cattermole has covered an enormous amount of this research in Mars - The story of the Red Planet and has presented it in a clear and logical manner, accessible to anyone interested in astronomy, space or planetary science. Mars contains many colour. illustrations and Viking images not previously available to the general public. This superb imagery is complemented by excellent maps of Mars provided by the United States Geological Survey. Mars is also a state-of-the-art account of the geology and atmosphere of the planet. The author traverses the different regions of Mars - the ancient cratered highlands, the volcanic plains and the icy polar regions - and explains the gradual evolutionary processes that created them. The evidence shows that the surface of Mars has been shaped by catastrophic floods, bombardment by asteroids, widespread volcanic and periglacial activity and the Martian winds, and that the surface once featured rivers, streams and possibly rivers of snow and ice.

Foreword / Patrick Moore -- 1. Mars in the Solar System -- 2. Spacecraft Exploration of the Red Planet -- 3. The Present Face of Mars -- 4. The Atmosphere and Weather -- 5. The Interior of Mars -- 6. The Ancient Cratered Terrain -- 7. The Central Volcanoes of Mars -- 8. The Plains of Mars -- 9. The Equatorial Canyons -- 10. Martian Channels and Chaotic Terrain -- 11. The Polar Regions, Wind and Volatile Activity -- 12. The Geological History of Mars -- 13. The Next Steps -- App. A Astronomical Data -- App. B Phobos and Deimos -- App. C Model Chronologies for Mars -- App. D Stratigraphy of Martian Geological Features and Units.