Energy Storage: A Vital Element in Mankind's Quest for Survival and Progress presents the transactions of the First International Assembly held at Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, 27 May-1 June 1979. It was the first international gathering of industrial, academic, and government experts to discuss all facets of energy storage: electrochemical, thermochemical and thermal, photochemical, and mechanical. In addition to panel sessions and lectures in these four areas, there were assessments using techno-economic models of the impact of various aspects of energy storage. The volume is organized into three sections. Section I consists of the plenary lectures, which are designed to summarize the progress, problems, and future opportunities in various areas of energy storage technology. Section II consists of Summary Proceedings. It was compiled mainly at the conference site and includes summaries of both the papers and discussions at the plenary and panel sessions. Section III contains the papers presented during the panel sessions.