I review the elementary theory of gravitational waves on a Minkowski background and the quadrupole approximation. The modified conservation laws for energy and momentum keeping track of the gravitational-wave flux are presented. The theory is applied to two-body systems in bound and scattering states subject to newtonian gravity generalized to include a 1/r3 force allowing for orbital precession. The evolution of the orbits is studied in the adiabatic approximation. From these results I derive the conditions for capture of two bodies to form a bound state by the emission of gravitational radiation.