X-ray binaries are some of the most varied and perplexing systems known to astronomers. The compact object, which accretes mass from its companion star, may be a white dwarf, a neutron star, or a black hole, whereas the donor star can be a 'normal' star or a white dwarf. The various combinations differ widely in their behaviour. This timely volume provides a unique and up-to-date reference of our knowledge of all of them. This long awaited review provides graduate students and researchers with the standard reference on X-ray binaries for many years to come.