The C Programming Language

The C Programming Language is a nonfiction programming book first published in 1978 by Brian Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie, the developers behind the C language. It presents C as a practical language for working programmers, with a focus on the language’s core ideas, rules, and examples rather than on a story or broad survey. The book is written in English and comes from the people closest to the language’s original design.

This is a good fit for readers who want to learn C seriously, or who want a direct reference written with authority and very little padding. Its compact, technical style suits people who are comfortable reading code examples and learning from them. If you like books that treat programming as a precise craft and that stay close to the language itself, this one sits right in that lane.