With the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) now in its ninth year of operation, the Fifth Compton Symposium provided an opportunity for sharing the most recent scientific results from CGRO and other related experiments in gamma-ray astronomy. Equally important were the descriptions of several new space-based and ground-based experiments in gamma-ray astronomy. These new instruments will be responsible for continuing the pioneering efforts of the CGRO mission. The proceedings provide a valuable reference for researchers in high energy astrophysics.