A compilation of landmark papers on granite petrogenesis is overdue. This volume is organized into a number of sections that represent what the editors regard as the main research fields in which progress has been made in understanding granites and their genesis. The origin of granitic magmas is part of the cycle that unites tectonic processes with the generation of mantle magma, crustal growth, the transfer of mantle heat to the crust, high-grade regional metamorphism, crustal melting and crustal differentiation. The extended subject area is far too wide to deal with in a single volume and therefore the selection has been limited to papers dealing with the formation, physical behaviour and chemical evolution of granitic magmas, and just touching on the matter of associated ore deposits. John (JC) Clemens and Fernando Bea are world experts on the subject of granite petrogenesis. Clemens' most important work has been on the origin and evolution of granites and silicic volcanic magmas, experimental studies and modelling of partial melting and the ascent and chemical evolution of granitic magmas, and these continue to be his main interests. Bea's research interests have been in the petrology and geochemistry of granite rocks and the mechanisms of generation of granite magmas, having studied in detail the role of heat-producing elements.