In this post, we have prepared a curated top list of reading recommendations for beginners and experienced. This hand-picked list of the best C++ books and tutorials can help fill your brain this April and ensure you’re getting smarter. We have also mentioned the brief introduction of each book based on the relevant Amazon or Reddit descriptions.
- C++ Primer (5th Edition) (2012)
- The C++ Programming Language (2013)
- C++ All-in-One For Dummies (2014)
- Effective Modern C++ (2014)
- C++ in One Hour a Day, Sams Teach Yourself (8th Edition) (2016)
- Beginning C++ Through Game Programming (2014)
- C++ Primer Plus (6th Edition) (Developer’s Library) (2011)
- Starting Out with C++ from Control Structures to Objects (9th Edition) (2017)
- C++: Programming Basics for Absolute Beginners (Step-By-Step C++) (Volume 1) (2017)
- Discovering Modern C++: An Intensive Course for Scientists and Programmers (2015)
- Starting Out with C++ (2014)
- C++ Pocket Reference (2003)
C++ Primer (5th Edition) (2012)
Bestselling Programming Tutorial and Reference Completely Rewritten for the New C++11 Standard. Fully updated and recast for the newly released C++11 standard, this authoritative and comprehensive introduction to C++ will help you to learn the language fast, and to use it in modern, highly effective ways. Highlighting today’s best practices, the authors show how to use both the core language and its standard library to write efficient, readable, and powerful code.
Author(s): Stanley B. Lippman, Josée Lajoie
The C++ Programming Language (2013)
C++11 has arrived: thoroughly master it, with the definitive new guide from C++ creator Bjarne Stroustrup, C++ Programming Language, Fourth Edition! The brand-new edition of the world’s most trusted and widely read guide to C++, it has been comprehensively updated for the long-awaited C++11 standard.
Author(s): Bjarne Stroustrup
C++ All-in-One For Dummies (2014)
Get ahead of the C++ curve to stay in the game. C++ is the workhorse of programming languages and remains one of the most widely used programming languages today. It’s cross-platform, multi-functional, and updates are typically open-source. The language itself is object-oriented, offering you the utmost control over data usage, interface, and resource allocation. If your job involves data, C++ proficiency makes you indispensable. C++ All-in-One For Dummies, 3rd Edition is your
Author(s): John Paul Mueller, Jeff Cogswell
Effective Modern C++ (2014)
Coming to grips with C++11 and C++14 is more than a matter of familiarizing yourself with the features they introduce (e.g., auto type declarations, move semantics, lambda expressions, and concurrency support). The challenge is learning to use those features effectively—so that your software is correct, efficient, maintainable, and portable. That’s where this practical book comes in. It describes how to write truly great software using C++11 and C++14—i.e. using modern C++.
Author(s): Scott Meyers
C++ in One Hour a Day, Sams Teach Yourself (8th Edition) (2016)
In just one hour a day, you’ll have all the skills you need to begin programming in C++. With this complete tutorial, you’ll quickly master the basics, and then move on to more advanced features and concepts. Completely updated for the C++14 standard, with a preview of C++17, this book presents the language from a practical point of view, helping you learn how to use C++ to create faster, simpler, and more efficient C++ applications.
Author(s): Siddhartha Rao
Beginning C++ Through Game Programming (2014)
When it comes to game programming, C++ is the name of the game. If you aspire to move from game player to game creator, it all starts with learning the fundamentals of C++ and game-programming basics. With BEGINNING C++ THROUGH GAME PROGRAMMING, FOURTH EDITION, you will find an up-to-date and thorough introduction to everything you need to get started–with no previous programming experience required. In the new fourth edition of this popular guide to learning C++
Author(s): Michael Dawson
C++ Primer Plus (6th Edition) (Developer’s Library) (2011)
C++ Primer Plus is a carefully crafted, complete tutorial on one of the most significant and widely used programming languages today. An accessible and easy-to-use self-study guide, this book is appropriate for both serious students of programming as well as developers already proficient in other languages.The sixth edition of C++ Primer Plus has been updated and expanded to cover the latest developments in C++, including a detailed look at the new C++11 standard. Author and educator Stephen Prata has created an introduction to C++ that is instructive, clear, and insightful.
Author(s): Stephen Prata
Starting Out with C++ from Control Structures to Objects (9th Edition) (2017)
Starting Out with C++: From Control Structures through Objects covers control structures, functions, arrays, and pointers before objects and classes in Tony Gaddis’s hallmark accessible, step-by-step presentation. His books help beginning students understand the important details necessary to become skilled programmers at an introductory level.
Author(s): Tony Gaddis
C++: Programming Basics for Absolute Beginners (Step-By-Step C++) (Volume 1) (2017)
Learning a programming language can seem like a daunting task. You may have looked at coding in the past, and felt it was too complicated and confusing. This comprehensive beginner’s guide will take you step by step through learning one of the best programming languages out there. In a matter of no time, you will be writing code like a professional.C++ is an evolution of the C programming language and is a powerful and versatile language.
Author(s): Nathan Clark
Discovering Modern C++: An Intensive Course for Scientists and Programmers (2015)
As scientific and engineering projects grow larger and more complex, it is increasingly likely that those projects will be written in C++. With embedded hardware growing more powerful, much of its software is moving to C++, too. Mastering C++ gives you strong skills for programming at nearly every level, from “close to the hardware” to the highest-level abstractions.
Author(s): Peter Gottschling
Starting Out with C++ (2014)
This text is intended for either a one-semester accelerated introductory course or a traditional two-semester sequence covering C++ programming. It is also suitable for readers interested in a comprehensive introduction to C++ programming. Tony Gaddis’s accessible, step-by-step presentation helps beginning students understand the important details necessary to become skilled programmers at an introductory level. Gaddis motivates the study of both programming skills and the C++
Author(s): Tony Gaddis
C++ Pocket Reference (2003)
C++ is a complex language with many subtle facets. This is especially true when it comes to object-oriented and template programming. The C++ Pocket Reference is a memory aid for C++ programmers, enabling them to quickly look up usage and syntax for unfamiliar and infrequently used aspects of the language. The book’s small size makes it easy to carry about, ensuring that it will always be at-hand when needed.
Author(s): Kyle Loudon
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Best Books to Help You Learn C++
We highly recommend you to buy all paper or e-books in a legal way, for example, on Amazon. But sometimes it might be a need to dig deeper beyond the shiny book cover. Before making a purchase, you can visit resources like Library Genesis and download some C++ books mentioned below at your own risk. Once again, we do not host any illegal or copyrighted files, but simply give our visitors a choice and hope they will make a wise decision.
Please note that this booklist is not final. Some books are absolutely hot items according to Washington Post, others are written by unknown authors. On top of that, you can always find additional tutorials and courses on Coursera, Udemy or edX, for example. Are there any other relevant books you could recommend? Drop a comment if you have any feedback on the list.