Tipler, Paul A - Physics - 5th Edition

Buy this book.

Standard 1st year physics text. All the 1st year courses use this and it sticks pretty close to the order of lectures. Worth the investment as you will use it all the time in your 1st year. Lots of copies in the library so you won't need to carry it about, which is good because it weighs a ton. Good descriptions and colour diagrams, and lots of question (some with answers) that are similar to exam and problem sheets.

3rd year MSci physics student

Jordan & Smith - Mathematical Techniques - 2nd Edition

Use the library, or secondhand

Standard text for 1st year calculus methods. I hated this book, and I don't think I'm the only one. Lots of errors (even in some of the examples!) and it goes into very little detail for 'the basics'. More useful at the end of the course and some of the questions are exam style. Lots of copies in the library, and considering howmany questions and worked exams the maths department give you not worth owning. If you are good at maths, buy Boas for the further years. If you are not so good, a decent A-Level further maths textbook will go into much more detail.

3rd year MSci physics student

Rae, Alistair - Quantumn Mechanics - 4th Edition

Looks very impressive on one's shelf

A good book as the second year quantumn course (and the third year course also) follows it very closely. However, I found I could have done quantumn 205 pretty much as well without it as the lecturer supplies very comprehensive notes. I also found the questions supplied in problem classes sufficient and more exam-like that those in the book. However, I would still say 'buy it' as the book explains the weird quantumn ideas very well, can be used for three courses and looks very impressive on one's shelf!

3rd year BSc physics student

Boas, Mary - Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences - 3rd Edition

Buy this book.

All of the maths you do through the 2-3rd years is covered in this slender tome of fine mathematical based knowledge. But seriously, you will eventually have to buy this book (or fail your degree) unless you are some form of maths genius or you plan to work very very very hard. All the maths syllabuses follow this book almost to the word and it is filled with lots of lovely examples and questions to do, all in all a fun friday night in.

3rd year BSc physics student

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Disagree with any of the reviews posted here? Or maybe you're just bored and want to submit your own? Either way, write a review and email it to me, the webmonkey. We would still like reviews for the following books:

• Riley, Hobson and Bence - Mathematical Methods for Physics and Engineering
• Feynman, Richard - Lectures on Physics
• Zeilik & Gregory - Introducing Astronomy & Astrophysics
• Lyons - Data Analysis for Physical Science Students
• All other recommended textbooks