Although few modern applications are as important as Walter Munk’s wave predictions used to guide the Allied landing at Normandy, models for wind-generated ocean waves have evolved significantly since June 1944. Along with the obvious military and engineering interests, the ability to simulate waves has become a crucial component of models for coastal and nearshore circulation, and the corresponding transport of materials, including pollutants, biota, and sediments. Oceanographers, sailors, and beachgoers have observed ocean-surface gravity waves for centuries, and mathematicians and physicists have developed exquisite theories for their generation, propagation, and dissipation for a wide range of situations. In this nicely illustrated book, Leo Holthuijsen (Delft University of Technology) reviews the observations and theories and presents the state of the art in models that simulate the generation and propagation of wind waves, especially in coastal areas.

Elgar, S. 2007. Review of Waves in Oceanic and Coastal Waters, by L.H. Holthuijsen. Oceanography 20(3):133–135, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2007.42.

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