What is a black hole? How does it 'work'? Could we survive a visit to one ... perhaps even venture inside? What would we find? Have we yet discovered any real black holes? And what do black holes teach us about the mysteries of our Universe?

These are just a few of the tantalizing questions examined in this tour-de-force, jargon-free review of one of the most fascinating topics in modern science.

In search of the answers, we trace a star from its birth to its death throes, take a fabulous hypothetical journey to the border of a black hole and beyond, spend time with some of the world's leading theoretical physicists and observational astronomers scanning the cosmos for evidence of real black holes, and take a whimsical look at some of the wild ideas black holes have inspired.

Prisons of Light - Black Holes is comprehensive and detailed. Yet Kitty Ferguson's lightness of touch, her down-to-earth analogies, and her desire to bring the excitement of science to a wide audience set this book apart from all others on black holes and make it a wonderfully stimulating and entertaining read.