After an initial qualitative characterization of the properties of explosions in the atmosphere and their blast and shock propagation effects, attention is given to the underlying quantitative principles of explosive energy release, including the scaling laws for explosions and internal blast effects from confined explosions. The dynamic loads that blast waves impose on representative structures are then characterized, with attention to resulting structural damage. A major feature of the present treatment is the use of the dimensionless Mach number in all shock equations ; a further simplification is furnished by first developing mathematical equations for shock in steady flow, and then applying these equations to explosive shock by simple transformation of coordinates.