Solitary wave theory is a rapidly developing discipline of significance in many fields of science, from ocean dynamics to plasma physics. Solitary Waves in Plasmas and in the Atmosphere offers a unified exposition of both the principles and recent advances of this fundamental theory. The authors introduce the theory of highly nonlinear phenomena in plasmas and in the atmosphere, and then study the development of these phenomena under the influence of various characteristics of the surrounding media. A great deal of attention is devoted to recent progress in stability studies using the Lyapunov method. By presenting the theory in terms of ordinary mathematics at the level of rigor customary in the physical literature, Petviashviii and Pokhotelov have written a work that is accessible to both graduates and research workers in atmospheric and ocean dynamics, mathematical and plasma physics.