Top 10 C and C++ Programming Books for Beginners and Experienced Programmers in 2024
These are the best books to master C and C++ programming languages. It includes books for all kinds of C/C++ developers with varied experience.
If you are just starting out with your programming career and confused about which programming language to choose to learn to code then you are not alone. The sheer number of programming languages is simply overwhelming.
It is, therefore, worth knowing that a good number of these languages heavily borrow their syntax from C, which makes starting with your programming journey with C Programming language, an apt choice.
I have started my programming career with C and C++ before learning Java, and it’s been more than 11 years since I am using C++, though not as often as Java, which becomes my primary skill, my C++ knowledge has helped me to work on projects where both C++ and Java is used.
Once considered the go-to language for general-purpose software development in the structured programming era, C has influenced quite a long list of languages to include PHP, JavaScript, Java, and Python.
Using familiar C structures makes it possible for new languages to improve acceptance. C++ builds upon C to now offer support for objects and classes.
Often time, I am rusty with C++ with very less coding, but whenever I have to refresh my knowledge, I have the right books and courses to do so. I have used C++ on both professional and personal projects and mostly use a GCC compiler.
If you ask me which one is tough to learn, C++ or Java? I would say C++? It’s even difficult to master, and you cannot master it unless you are coding C++ daily.
That’s why it’s also very important to choose the right books to learn from C++ from the start, but oftentimes it’s difficult given so many C++ books are available in the market.
In this article, I’ll share a couple of books that I think are good for both beginners and intermediate C++ programmers.
I consider myself in between a beginner and intermediate C++ programmer, as I actually code C++, use libraries from the Boost project, which is like JDK, but offer more algorithms than the Collection framework.
By using Boost and STL, you feel like coding in Java because you don’t need to reimplement common functionalities like sockets, collections, serialization, etc. So, I have also included the best C++ books which explain STL and Boost, two essential libraries for any professional C++ developer.
If you are a visual and active learner like me then you can also combine these books with an online course like Beginning C++ Programming — From Beginner to Beyond, which covers everything you need to know about CPP and also provides a more active and visual learning experience. This combination of a book and course works well to learn something new in a quick time.
10 Best Books to learn C and C++ for Beginners and Experienced Developers in 2024
Without wasting any more of your time, here is a list of the best books to learn C and C++ from a beginner's point of view. Though, I have also included some advanced C++ books for experienced developers and senior students.
1. C Programming Absolute Beginner’s Guide
This is one of the best C programming books a beginner should read. Taking into account that C has features and operations considered low level, and its different sized variables make it difficult for new programmers to learn.
The approach used by the author gradually increases the complexity of the content after an extensive look at the basics. Using the Code: Blocks IDE, the book walks the reader through basic variable declarations to more advanced topics as working with functions and searching and sorting arrays.
Authors: Greg Perry and Dean Miller
Though the book is great for a beginner programmer, it would be a lot better if flow control was tackled much earlier in the book and some of the C related content such as heap management were left for the end.
Nonetheless, the book is an effective guide to learning C and you can easily make up for those shortcomings by joining a C programming online course like C Programming for Beginners on Udemy. I highly suggest combining this book and course to start your C programming journey.
2. The C Programming Language (2nd Edition)
This is probably the most recommend C programming book ever. Commonly referred to as the K&R, this book is a must-read book for all C programmers, including beginners and experienced developers.
Authored by one of the designers of the C language, Dennis Ritchie, this short read is packed with the fundamental concepts behind the language. It is because of it that C became popularized during its early development. It served as the de facto standard for all who required a detailed C reference.
Authors: Brian W Kernighan and Dennis M Ritchie
The K&R covers the entire language’s specification which is quite rare for any other book in a different language. Other than the basics, C libraries are well covered and with numerous examples to try out. Its workflow is better organized and helps the learner to slowly build up on covered content.
Here is the link to get this book — The C Programming Language (2nd Edition)
If you need an online course to go with this book, I suggest you join Duke University’s Introduction to Programming in C specialization in Coursera. It’s a great collection of courses to learn and master C programming in a few weeks.
Apart from that Coursera also has Coding for Everyone: C and C++ Specialization and Programming in C++: A Hands-on Introduction Specialization which are great to learn hands-on C++ coding and development
By the way, instead of joining these courses and specialization individually, you can also join the Coursera Plus, a subscription plan from Coursera which gives you unlimited access to their most popular courses, specialization, professional certificate, and guided projects.
3. The C++ Programming Language (4th Edition)
This is one of the best books to learn C++ Programming from Scratch and it's good for both beginners and experienced programmers. Created by Bjarne Stroustrup this book is perfect to learn one of the most popular languages, C++ adds object-oriented concepts (data abstractions, polymorphism, inheritance, and encapsulation).
Additionally, it introduces function overloading, and exception handling, which was previously absent in C programming.
The language’s creator and developer authored this book to serve as documentation for the continuously evolving programming language. Consequent editions have been written to include changes in the language. Though it covers the language’s construct, some of its contents may appear advanced for novice programmers.
However, with a good grasp of the basics, this book is excellent for all levels of programmers. Its companion book, David Vandevoorde’s C++ Solutions, offers learners step-by-step solutions to exercises found in Bjarne’s book.
If you want, you can also combine this book with a free online course like C++ Tutorials for Beginners on Udemy to benefit from some active learning experience. This course is also completely free and more than 300K students have already joined it.
4. C++ Primer (5th Edition)
Authors: Stanley B Lippman, Josee Lajoie, and Barbara E Moo
It is agreed upon by many that this text forms one of the most effective introductions to the language. The book endeavors to be a reference book and a study tool for all levels of programmers.
Only requiring a basic understanding of programming constructs, the book quickly builds upon one’s knowledge to cover important concepts such as C++’s template facility, algorithmic libraries, and classes.
It provides great insights for even experienced programmers with its extensive coverage of the language’s features. As with the book’s tradition, the text continues to be kept up to date with the changing classifications of C++.
This valuable resource also features a good number of new examples not included in older editions. If you need a course to go with this book, check out C++: From Beginner to Expert on Udemy.
5. C++ Primer Plus (6th Edition)
This C++ book is authored by Stephen Prata and it's awesome for both new programmers, students, and experienced developers who will find this book helpful in its coverage of C++’s programming logic.
Its engaging explanations, coupled with well-explained examples, provide new programmers with a solid background in the language.
The text also adequately covers object-oriented programming concepts. This is quite important as the topic is often quite confusing for new programmers. Farrell clarifies classes and objects making it possible for even new programmers to start developing more complex program structures.
Similar to other texts in this list, the book thoroughly details the concept of templates as used in C++ as well as exception handling. Experienced programmers will find its explanation of random number generation informative especially for scientific simulations.
And, if you need an advanced course to go with this book, check out Learn Advanced C++ Programming by John Purcell.
6. Effective C++ and More Effective C++
I read Effective C++ by Scott Meyers after reading Effective Java by Joshua Bloch. As the name suggests, the book aims to teach you the right and effective way to use C++.
This was written with the aim of being the second-best C++ programming book and it is right up there.
This is a great book for all programmers coming from different backgrounds learning C++ like programmers coming from C and programmers coming from Java.
The 3rd edition of Effective C++ contains 55 essays to improve your C++ program and design skills. This also helps to understand C++ better. In short, one of the must-read C++ books for experienced C++ developers.
In short, one of the most must-read books for any C++ intermediate and experienced developer.
7. Beyond the C++ Standard Library: An Introduction to Boost
Even though now C++ standard library has improved a lot in C++1, Boost is still the most used C++ library in both professional and personal projects. This book gives a good description of base Boost libraries. http://www.boost.org/.
This book is mainly for intermediate and experienced C++ programmers as it explains not only how to use boost library but also why you should use these libraries. As a professional C++ developer, it’s imperative to learn and get familiar with the Boost library, and there is no better book to do that than this one.
You can also combine this book with the Learn Advanced C++ Programming course by John Purcell in Udemy. This course not only covers the C++ STL library but also introduces modern C++ concepts introduced in C++ 11 like Lambda expression.
8. Effective Modern C++
This is another gem from Scott Mayor, the most effective C++ author. This is basically the new version of Effective C++ to help C++ programmers upgrade themselves from C++03 to C++11 and C++14.
I strongly suggest reading Effective Modern C++ along with Effective C++ to learn C++ better.
If you need a course, you can also check out the C++ Standard Library including C++ 14 & C++ 17 course by Rainer Grimm on Educative for some interactive learning experience.
9. C++ Template Metaprogramming
This is one of the best C++ books from the C++ In-Depth Series. This book is about metaprogramming in C++, based on the Boost Metaprogramming Library. The first part of the book explains the basics of template programming and describes the boost MPL library quite well.
It has a lot of examples to walk you through concepts, and it also explains metaprogramming, which many C++ programmers are not aware of. It’s not a beginner book but rather a good one for expert C++ programmers.
If you need a course on C++ Template, I recommend the Beginner C++ Template course on Udemy. It’s a free course which means you don’t need to pay anything but you will learn a lot.
10. C++ Concurrency In Action
This is one of the best books to learn Concurrency using C++, this book is authored by Anthony Williams and it’s a great book for experienced C++ developers or someone who wants to become a C++ expert programmer. It’s like what Java Concurrency in Action for Java developers.
Concurrency is always been tricky in C++ and that’s the main area where Java scored well but C++ concurrency has come a long way. The first edition of this was an excellent book covering C++11 concurrency support including the thread library, the atomics library, the C++ memory model, locks, and mutexes, as well as issues of designing and debugging multithreaded and concurrent applications.
This is the second edition which was released last year. It is updated to cover all the latest changes from C++ 14 and C++ 17. The book will teach you everything a C++ developer needs to know to write a robust, high-performance, and elegant concurrent C++ application.
If you are serious about C++ programming I highly recommend you to read this book. If you want you can also combine this book with the Modern C++ Concurrency in Depth course by Kasun Liyanage on Udemy for quicker more active learning. It nicely complements this book.
That’s all about the best books to learn C and C++ programming for beginners, students, junior programmers, and developers. Whether starting out as a hobbyist programmer or a computer science student, any of the books on the list would serve as an essential addition to your library.
Even with new programming languages being developed every few years, C and C++ are still highly ranked. They have proved to be essential tools and a gateway to learning other programming languages.
As such, they are still relevant and worth learning, even in today’s software development
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P. S. — While these books are very good and perfect to learn both C and C++ but if it’s getting tougher for you then I also suggest you join a course like Beginning C++ Programming — From Beginner to Beyond, which covers everything you need to know about CPP and provides a more active and visual learning experience.
