When and how did the universe begin? What gave rise to the myriad galaxies of stars and immense super-clusters of galaxies that exist today? And how might it all end? Will it, in fact, ever end? These far-reaching questions have perplexed philosophers of old. But with the advent of exciting new technologies and astrophysical techniques, teams of scientists from around the world have pieced together a compellingly coherent account of both the birth and the demise of our amazing cosmos – with much now understood about the billions of action-packed years between the mysterious start and possibly freakish finish.