From Math Reviews: This is a charming textbook, introducing the reader to the classical parts of algebra. The exposition is admirably clear and lucidly written with only minimal prerequisites from linear algebra... The book ends with an appendix containing exercises and notes on the previous parts of the book. However, brief historical comments and suggestions for further reading are also scattered through the text.

This translation of the 1987 German edition is an introduction into the classical parts of algebra with a focus on fields and Galois theory. It discusses nonstandard topics, such as the transcendence of pi, and new concepts are defined in the framework of the development of carefully selected problems. It includes an appendix with exercises and notes on the previous parts of the book, and brief historical comments are scattered throughout.

Constructibility with Ruler and Compass.- Algebraic Extensions.- Simple Extensions.- Fundamentals of Divisibility.- Prime Factorization in Polynomial Rings. Gauss's Theorem.- Polynomial Splitting Fields.- Separable Extensions.- Galois Extensions.- Finite Fields, Cyclic Groups and Roots of Unity.- Group Actions.- Applications of Galois Theory to Cyclotomic Fields.- Further Steps into Galois Theory.- Norm and Trace.- Binomial Equations.- Solvability of Equations.- Integral Ring Extensions with Applications to Galois Theory.- The Transcendence of ?.- Fundamentals of Transcendental Field Extensions.- Hilbert's Nullstellensatz.