Written by the inventors of the technology, The Java(tm) Language Specification, Second Edition is the definitive technical reference for the Java(tm) programming language. If you want to know the precise meaning of the language's constructs, this is the source for you.

The book provides complete, accurate, and detailed coverage of the syntax and semantics of the Java programming language. It describes all aspects of the language, including the semantics of all types, statements, and expressions, as well as threads and binary compatibility.