本书是Springer《数学研究生教材》第73卷，初版于1974年，30年来一直是美国及世界各国人学数学系采用的研究生代数教本。此书Springer已重印12次，由此证明这是一部经典的研究生教材。全书取材适中，论述清晰，自成体系。本书在一些问题的处理上有其独到之处，如sylow定理的证明、伽罗瓦理论的处理、可分域的扩张，环的结构理论等。书中有大量的练习和精心挑选的例子。
The content and treatment in this edition remain in accordance with what was said in the preface to the first edition (see below). My chief care in revising and augmenting haeen to comply with this principle. Despite the lapse of thirty years, the previous edition has, with very slight exceptions, not gone out of date. Its material haeen only fairly slightly supplemented and modified. About ten new sections have been added.
