2026 has been phenomenal in the number of books published on Docker or by Docker Captains so far. So, I decided to compile the books published in the first quarter of 2026 into an article for more people to discover them.
You can also read the article here, which looks slightly better.
1️⃣ Black Forest Shadow: A Dark Fantasy Guide to Docker and Kubernetes Security
Author: Mohammad-Ali A'râbi (Docker Captain)
If you've ever thought learning about Kubernetes and container hardening was a bit dry, Mohammad-Ali A'râbi is here to prove you wrong. Black Forest Shadow is a highly creative, dark fantasy guide to Docker and Kubernetes security.
—Claude
- What it's about: The book weaves complex concepts like runtime security, SBOM generation, and container hardening into an exciting narrative set in the mystical Black Forest of 1865.
- Why you should read it: It transforms standard cybersecurity challenges—like tracking down CVEs and preventing lateral movement—into an immersive, story-driven adventure. It's ideal for developers and security engineers seeking a distinctive, memorable approach to DevSecOps.
- Where to get it:
2️⃣ The Rust Programming Handbook: An End-to-end Guide to Mastering Rust Fundamentals
Author: Francesco Ciulla (Docker Captain)
Rust is the new C, and it's been on my list for 5 years now. Now, finally, I know which book to read to learn it. Written by my dear friend and fellow Docker Captain, Francesco Ciulla, who has been teaching Rust for many years now.
- What it's about: This handbook takes you from foundational syntax to advanced features like memory safety and concurrency models. Crucially for this list, it includes dedicated, hands-on sections on Dockerizing and deploying your Rust applications!
- Why you should read it: It bridges the gap between beginner tutorials and production-ready coding for low-level system components or high-performance web services.
- Where to get it:
3️⃣ Docker for Front-end Developers (Featuring React.js)
Author: Kristiyan Velkov (Docker Captain)
Front-end developers, rejoice! As a backend engineer, it has always been hard for me to onboard frontend people to Docker, because I spoke Klingon for them. My dear friend, Docker Captain Kristiyan Velkov, has done an awesome job writing a containerization guide specifically tailored to how front-end engineers think, build, and ship. I should say, it also looks good.
- What it's about: Moving past backend-centric explanations, this book walks you through containerizing real-world applications (with a heavy focus on React). You'll learn how to write clean Dockerfiles, configure NGINX properly, implement multi-stage builds, and handle caching securely.
- Why you should read it: It's a purely practical, visually-driven guide that teaches you how to take full ownership of your environments without getting bogged down in abstract backend theory.
- Where to get it:
4️⃣ The Ultimate Docker Container Book (Fourth Edition)
Author: Dr. Gabriel N. Schenker
Hitting shelves on March 31, 2026, this absolute heavyweight of a book clocks in at over 750 pages and leaves no stone unturned. Jeez, I need an extra bookshelf just for this book's weight.
- What it's about: It takes you from basic container concepts all the way to running production-grade platforms. The fourth edition places a massive new emphasis on security, enterprise governance, compliance, and AI-driven automation patterns.
- Why you should read it: It is designed for system administrators, DevOps engineers, and architects who need to build and scale secure, future-ready container platforms across major cloud providers.
- Where to get it:
5️⃣ Docker: Das Praxisbuch für Entwickler und DevOps-Teams (5th Edition)
Authors: Bernd Öggl & Michael Kofler
For the German-speaking tech community, the definitive Docker reference guide gets a major Q1 2026 update.
- What it's about: A comprehensive, 580+ page practical guide covering everything from setting up Docker to CI/CD pipelines, GitLab integration, Swarm, and Kubernetes orchestration.
- Why you should read it: It's an excellent, hands-on resource that balances basic principles with advanced, modern use cases like modernizing legacy applications and working with specialized databases.
- Where to get it:
Honorable Mentions from 2025
Well, while researching the new 2026 Docker books, I stumbled upon a recent video by Bret Fisher interviewing the author of a rather interesting book. That inspired me to add this honorable mentions section. I promise my original intention wasn't to sneak my own book in here, but hey, it just happened!
Learn Docker in a Month of Lunches (Second Edition)
Author: Elton Stoneman
Published in 2025, this is the much-anticipated update to one of the most beloved Docker books on the market.
- What it's about: A complete refresh of the classic guide. It breaks down Docker fundamentals into digestible, daily lessons. This edition covers multi-platform builds, the latest cloud container services, and navigating the modern Kubernetes ecosystem.
- Why you should read it: If you are a beginner looking for a structured, manageable way to learn—or an experienced dev needing to catch up on years of ecosystem changes—this is the gold standard.
- Where to get it:
Getting Started with Docker (2025 Edition)
Author: Nigel Poulton (Docker Captain)
Nigel Poulton's fast-paced introduction to Docker received a significant 2025 update, adding a dedicated chapter on running local LLMs with Docker Model Runner — including building a multi-container chatbot app.
- What it's about: A streamlined, hands-on guide to container fundamentals, Docker Compose, and microservices — now with a practical AI chapter for developers who want to run models locally.
- Why you should read it: It's the quickest path from zero to productive with Docker, and the new AI content makes it uniquely relevant for 2025 and beyond.
- Where to get it:
Docker and Kubernetes Security
Author: Mohammad-Ali A'râbi (Docker Captain)
A DevOps Dozen 2025 finalist for Best DevOps Book of the Year, this practical guide covers container security across the full development lifecycle—from build to production.
- What it's about: Ten chapters spanning supply chain security (SBOMs, OCI 1.1 attestations, vulnerability scanning with Docker Scout, Trivy, and Snyk) and runtime protection with Falco, RBAC, and Kubernetes pod security.
- Why you should read it: It is the most comprehensive hands-on resource available for teams serious about securing their container platforms end-to-end.
- Where to get it:
Conclusion
The Docker and Kubernetes ecosystem has never had a stronger reading list, to be completely humble! From dark fantasy security guides to hands-on Rust handbooks and front-end containerization primers, Q1 2026 proves that the community is producing more creative, accessible, and production-focused material than ever before.
Stay tuned as more books are coming in Q2. I'm involved in reviewing one of them, so I'm excited for the quarter to come.
Have a book that should be on this list? Leave a comment.
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