Berkeley Physics Course

Berkeley Physics Course is a series of physics textbooks written mostly by UC Berkeley professors. A Sputnik-era project funded by an NSF grant, it arose from discussions between Philip Morrison (Cornell) and Charles Kittel (Berkeley) in 1961 and was published by Mcgraw-Hill College starting in 1965. Because of the government support received, the original editions contain notices on their copyright pages stating that the books were to be available royalty-free after five years. The series consists of the following books:

• Mechanics. Vol. 1 by Charles Kittel, Walter D. Knight, Malvin A. Ruderman
• Electricity and Magnetism. Vol. II by Edward M. Purcell
• Waves. Vol. III by Frank S. Crawford, Jr.
• Quantum physics. Vol IV by Eyvind H. Wichmann
• Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics. Vol. V by Frederick Reif, Author and R. A. Sevenich, Reviewer (See also List of textbooks in statistical mechanics)

Volume 2, Electricity and Magnetism, by Purcell (Harvard), is particularly well known, and was influential for its use of relativity in the presentation of the subject at this level. Half a century later, the book is also in print as a commercial third edition, as Purcell and Morin.