Written by a pioneer in the field, this overview of charged particle optics provides a solid introduction to the subject area for all physicists wishing to design their own apparatus or better understand the instruments with which they work. It begins by introducing electrostatic lenses and fields used for acceleration, focusing and deflection of ions or electrons. Subsequent chapters give detailed descriptions of electrostatic deflection elements, uniform and non-uniform magnetic sector fields, image aberrations, and, finally, fringe field confinement.