Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets

If there's one technical analysis manual almost everyone cites as a reference, this is it. Murphy gathers the classic chart-analysis tools into a single volume and explains them in an orderly way, with real examples and charts you can follow with no prior knowledge.

The coverage is complete: Dow theory, trends, support and resistance, the main reversal and continuation patterns, volume and open interest, moving averages, oscillators and indicators, and a final block on intermarket analysis — the relationship between bonds, currencies, commodities and indices. It doesn't marry a single system; it gives you the vocabulary and the pieces to build your own.

It's not an afternoon read. It works best as a reference book: you keep it within reach and go back to the chapter you need when you want to firm up a concept or review how an indicator is read. Many later courses and books start from here.

It fits best if you're starting out and want a solid, orderly base, or if you trade technically and carry gaps you never closed. It's written for stocks, futures and currencies alike, so most of it applies directly to futures.