Published in 1939, this book was the first to develop a fundamental theory of scientific inference based on the ideas of Bayesian statistics. Recent advances in computer power and availability have brought Bayesian statistics into the limelight and make this book a must for all serious statisticians.

Jeffreys' Theory of Probability, first published in 1939, was the first attempt to develop a fundamental theory of scientific inference based on Bayesian statistics. His ideas were well ahead of their time and it is only in the past ten years that the subject of Bayes' factors has been significantly developed and extended. Recent work has made Bayesian statistics an essential subject for graduate students and researchers. This seminal book is their starting point.

Though mathematically very demanding, the principles and examples are clear enough, and Jeffreys' trenchant references to critics of Bayesian methods often made me laugh out loud - an unusual experience with an advanced statistics text. Its selection as an Oxford Classic Text is unusual but well judged.