chapter 1 Cosmic strings and broken gauge symmetries -- chapter 2 The elements of string dynamics -- chapter 3 String dynamics in flat space -- chapter 4 A bestiary of exact solutions -- chapter 5 String dynamics in non-flat backgrounds -- chapter 6 Cosmic strings in the weak-field approximation -- chapter 7 The gravitational field of an infinite straight string -- chapter 8 Multiple straight strings and closed timelike curves -- chapter 9 Other exact string metrics -- chapter 10 Strong-field effects of zero-thickness strings.