"First published 1973. First paperback edition 1974. 20th printing 2006. 50th anniversary edition 2023"-- title page verso.

The role of gravity -- Differential geometry -- General relativity -- The physical significance of curvature -- Exact solutions -- Causal structure -- The Cauchy problem in General Relativity -- Space-time singularities -- Gravitational collapse and black holes -- The initial singularity in the universe.

"First published in 1973, this influential work discusses Einstein's General Theory of Relativity to show how two of its predictions arise: first, that the ultimate fate of many massive stars is to undergo gravitational collapse to form 'black holes'; and second, that there was a singularity in the past at the beginning of the universe. Starting with a precise formulation of the theory, including the necessary differential geometry, the authors discuss the significance of spacetime curvature and examine the properties of a number of exact solutions of Einstein's field equations. They develop the theory of the causal structure of a general spacetime, and use it to prove a number of theorems establishing the inevitability of singularities under certain conditions. A foreword contributed by Abhay Ashtekar and a new preface from George Ellis help put the volume into context of the developments in the field over the past 50 years"--