The Kubernetes Book — Fully Updated for 2026 By Nigel Poulton — author of the first ever Kubernetes book. His books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies and his training courses have taught millions of engineers worldwide. Kubernetes is how modern infrastructure runs. This book is how people learn it. What's new in this 2026 edition Fully updated for the latest Kubernetes releases - New Gateway API chapter — weighted traffic splitting and cross-namespace routing - Refreshed examples throughout What you'll learn Everything from Kubernetes architecture and the control plane, to scheduling, networking, RBAC, scaling, rolling updates, ingress, and self-healing apps. You'll also learn how to set up clusters from scratch (including free options) and extend the Kubernetes API. Who it's for Developers building containerised or microservices-based applications. DevOps and platform engineers deploying or operating clusters. Infrastructure and IT professionals moving into cloud-native environments. Studying for your CKA? The Certified Kubernetes Administrator exam is one of the most sought-after certifications in cloud-native infrastructure, and this book is where thousands of candidates have started their preparation. It covers the core Kubernetes concepts and hands-on skills the exam tests, explained clearly enough that you'll actually understand them, not just memorise them. Why readers keep coming back every year No jargon. No padding. Fully updated every year so it's never out of date. The only Kubernetes book you'll ever need to keep.
