This second volume of a two-volume set provides a modern account of basic Banach algebra theory including all known results on general Banach *-algebras. The author emphasizes the roles of *-algebra structure and explores the algebraic results that underlie the theory of Banach algebras and *-algebras. Proofs are presented in complete detail at a level accessible to graduate students. The books contain a wealth of historical comments, background material, examples, and an extensive bibliography. Together they constitute the standard reference for the general theory of *-algebras. This second volume deals with *-algebras. Noteworthy chapters develop the theory of *-algebras without additional restrictions, going well beyond what has been proved previously in this context and describe locally compact groups and the *-algebras related to them.
