This beautiful text transformed the graduate teaching of algebra in Europe and the United States. It clearly and succinctly formulated the conceptual and structural insights which Noether had expressed so forcefully and combined it with the elegance and understanding with which Artin had lectured. This second volume of the English translation of B.L. van der Waerden's text Algebra is the first softcover printing of the original translation.
From the reviews:
"This is the second volume of the English translation of B. L. van der Waerden's classic textbook 'Algebra'. ... In fact, it represents the first softcover printing of the original translation which, on its part, had first appeared in1970. ... this masterly exposition is still worth reading today, especially for beginners in commutative algebra and algebraic geometry. ... It is van der Waerden's inimitable style of presenting the principles of modern algebra that has survived all new fashions in algebra ... ." (Werner Kleinert, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1032 (7), 2004)
"In the glad to have you back department, I'm delighted that Springer has decided to reprint the two volumes of B.L.van der Waerden's Algebra. Based in part on lectures by Emmy Noether and Emil Artin, this is the book that brought 'abstract algebra' to the mathematical world. ... the book reflects the excitement that accompanied the birth of axiomatic algebra. ... a book to treasure. I am glad it's back." (MAA-Online, March, 2004)