Extensive air showers are a unique phenomenon that have been studied for over six decades since their discovery by Auger and collaborators. This Tutorial, Reference Manual, and Data Book by Peter K. F. Grieder offers a comprehensive overview of the phenomenology and interactions of air showers, including theoretical background, experimental methods, and data evaluation. It also covers air shower simulation and discusses the astrophysical aspects of primary radiation, highlighting unresolved questions that challenge current and future research. The work is divided into two volumes. Volume I focuses on the theoretical framework governing air showers and summarizes methods for extracting information from observations, presenting a compilation of current knowledge regarding the high-energy portion of the primary spectrum and composition. Volume II primarily consists of data compilations, including experimental and theoretical insights, along with predictions from simulations of air shower constituents. It features chapters on specific processes and detection methods, with extensive reference lists at the end of each chapter. This resource is invaluable for researchers and students in cosmic ray detection and astroparticle physics.
