Low-Level Programming: C, Assembly, and Program Execution on Intel® 64 Architecture

What happens between writing a line of C and watching it run on a processor? Low-Level Programming traces that path from Intel 64 architecture and assembly instructions through C, compilation, linking, and execution. Igor Zhirkov brings these layers together for readers who want to understand not just how to write systems code, but what the machine is doing with it.

See the machine beneath the code

The book opens with computer architecture and assembly language before moving into virtual memory, interrupts, system calls, and models of computation. This foundation helps place low-level programming in context: registers, memory, and processor behavior become part of the programming picture rather than hidden machinery.

Build a stronger understanding of C

A dedicated section covers C fundamentals, including types, memory, code structure, syntax, semantics, and good coding practices. The emphasis is on understanding how the language behaves and writing code that remains clear and robust as it interacts with the system.

Follow the journey from source to execution

The book then bridges C and assembly, examining translation details, ELF object files, shared objects, code models, and linking. That perspective can make compiler output and assembly listings more intelligible, and helps explain why a program’s structure matters beyond the source file.

Performance, debugging, and concurrency

Topics include compiler optimization, performance techniques such as SSE instructions and prefetching, and the effects of a weak memory model in multithreaded programs. Examples and exercises put concepts into practice; appendices also cover tools and subjects including gdb, Make, and system calls.

Who may find it useful

Aimed at intermediate to advanced programmers and programming students, this is a focused choice for readers comfortable with programming who want to connect C and assembly to Intel 64 architecture, compilation, and program execution.