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University of Cambridge
David Tong Lectures on Theoretical Physics


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      + Classical Mechanics
      + Electromagnetism
      + Quantum Mechanics
      + Fluid Mechanics

The Books

My lecture notes are now all grown up and available as a series of
books, published by Cambridge University Press. You may wonder why
you should buy the books when the lecture notes are freely available.
It's a good question. And it has good answers:

  * The books have loads more content.
  * And better explanations.
  * I now spell "Schwarzschild" correctly.
  * I convinced the publisher to sell the paperbacks at half the
    price of most other textbooks.
  * They smell nice.


So far there are four textbooks available: click on the images below
to go to the dedicated page for each book.


[classical mechanics] [electromagnetism] [quantum mechanics] [fluid
mechanics]


Don't Just Take My Word For It...

This is what others said about the series.

  * "David Tong's lecture notes are the backbone of our society"--
    Finite Physicist, Twitter
  * ""This is theoretical physics "done right". The author's love of
    the subject and its history, as well as its results, shines
    through. The definitions and derivations are clean, but never
    dry. For students of modern physical science, these volumes will
    be a rich source of instruction, insight - and joy." -- Frank
    Wilczek, Nobel Laureate, MIT
  * "David Tong is one of those physicists who comes along only
    rarely. He unrelentingly dives into all fields of physics,
    recognizing the often-underappreciated unity of the body of
    knowledge that exists. He is a master of technical detail along
    with the essential underlying physical principles. In this series
    he covers much of the undergraduate and graduate curriculum with
    clarity and humor, and I often find myself looking up his books
    or using his efforts to teach better myself." -- Lisa Randall,
    Harvard
  * " This is a wonderful set of textbooks. A dynamic and engaging
    introduction to theoretical physics with a very modern emphasis."
    -- Juan Maldacena, Institute for Advanced Study
  * "David Tong's series brilliantly combines deep physical
    understanding with masterful teaching. Delivering a thorough,
    wide-ranging, and current view of physics, it effectively updates
    Landau and Lifshitz's renowned Course of Theoretical Physics.
    This series is highly recommended as both excellent course
    material and an essential resource for students and advanced
    researchers, and I am confident it will achieve classic status."
    -- Nathan Seiberg, Institute for Advanced Study
  * "The books in this Lecture Series are destined to become
    classics, I suspect, and be immensely popular among students and
    researchers alike. The writing is clear and accessible, the
    explanations understandable and impeccable, and the style is
    engaging, funny and witty. One cannot resist a reference to the
    authoritative and deeply insightful set of books by Landau and
    Lifshitz. This series, aimed at a broader audience, may well
    prove to be equally influential, establishing a ``theoretical
    minimum" to which all physicists, students and practitioners,
    would aspire. I can't wait for the other volumes to appear." --
    Sandip Trivedi, Director Emeritus TIFR, India
  * " These books are an invaluable gift to physics students of all
    ages. It's probably impossible for a series of books to cover
    everything a physicist needs to know, but this is as close as
    you're going to get. All explained with David Tong's
    characteristic clarity and verve. I can't recommend them highly
    enough." -- Sean Carroll, Johns Hopkins University
  * " These volumes are brilliant gems, lovingly crafted in language
    that sparkles and enlightens. Moreover, the cross-referencing of
    topics as well as the prefiguring of advanced concepts allows
    students to appreciate the unity of theoretical physics in a way
    no individual textbook could. For the rest of us, the books
    rekindle the zing we felt when we first encountered these
    subjects, with numerous shiny new nuggets as a bonus. A Landau
    and Lifshitz for the 21st century, only more inviting and human
    this time." -- Rajesh Gopakumar, Director, ICTS, Bangalore




      + (c) 2025 David Tong