TITLE: prerequisites for serre's FAC?
QUESTION [6 upvotes]: Is the knowledge of undergraduate's basic algebra and general topology enough to reading FAC?
Do I need learn some algebraic topology and homological algebra, commutative algebra, or several complex function prior to reading this paper?
Any textbook/reference recommendations?
Thank you in advance!

REPLY [9 votes]: The requirements from homological and commutative algebra become more serious as the paper goes on; I count 27 references to Cartan-Eilenberg, for example. You also want to know something about varieties — it seems hopeless to try and study sheaves on them otherwise.
You're fortunate in that Andrew McLennan has been writing a book that covers much of the background needed and ends with an English translation of FAC. I don't think you necessarily want to take the time to read all available background before diving into the paper, but it's a rare luxury to have a reference tuned to your specific need.
One plan would be to learn some basic algebraic geometry — say an undergraduate course as laid out in the books of Smith, Reid, Hassett, etc. — and then try to get what you can out of Serre's paper with McLennan's help.