This significant collection of articles comprises seminal works in recent empirical research on mergers and acquisitions. The papers provide a detailed analysis of fundamental questions such as the sources of gains in mergers and acquisitions, the role of activists in the takeover process, the existence of merger waves, the relevance of auction models in corporate takeovers and the measurement of bidder returns.This volume, with an original introduction by the editor, is an indispensible tool to scholars in finance, economics and industrial organization as well as policymakers in securities regulation, corporate law and antitrust.<