The comprehensive catalog of C++ books

Table of content

Table of content
Intro: iterating over C++ books
- Controversy of Amazon as a primary reference
- Contributions
- Expressing your gratitude
Reference and ISO Standard
Beginner to Programming
Beginner to C++
General Books on C++
Advanced Books on C++
C++ Templates and Metaprogramming
C++ Concurrency and Distributed Programming
Low-Level High-Performance Optimizations
Algorithms in C and C++
Latest Features Review: C++11/14
Latest Features Review: C++17
Latest Features Review: C++20
Software Design and Design Patterns in C++
GUI Programming
Secure Programming Practices
Windows System Programming
Windows Kernel Programming
Linux System Programming
Linux Kernel Programming
C++ Embedded Programming
Network Programming
Computer Graphics in C++
Game Development in C++
Financial Applications of C++
Hardware Design in C++
Modern C Programming
Old and Classic books on C++

Intro: iterating over C++ books

No secret, most of the C++ books on the market are for absolute beginners, and 90% of them are bad. Few good books for intermediate-to-advanced developers, but finding and advising a good read on C++ is almost a scientific problem.

The same with attempts to create some C++ books catalog, here's an example of not the most optimal choice: ~~Best~~ C++ Books for Beginners and Advanced Level in 2021. Why so? Well, I do not consider books of series "one hour a day" or "for dummies" a worthy technical read. We all know the best way to learn C++ in 21 days

The best way to learn C++ in 21 days

Also, all kinds are reference book in fact are being outdated by the moment of release - the role of a comprehensive C++ reference successfully taken by Cppreference.com, and it's totally fine.

The next problem of C++ book lists is a diversity of C++ applied areas - C++ is a truly universal language, but every applied domain features a different approach and usually requires specific knowledge. System programming, game development, user- and kernel-space. Some books use C++ as a language of choice to solve the high-level problem, like algorithms and software design in C++.

And finally, the comprehensive C++ list is expected to be up-to-date at least with the last language Standard, and just with new interesting books - this list is not bad, even though some choices are questionable, but it's already outdated, not including any books on C++20 one year after the new Standard release. The most effective way to achieve this state is a continuous community effort, that's why I choose Github as a medium of my C++ books list.

Controversy of Amazon as a primary reference

I was extremely upset myself by the fact I have to use references almost exclusively to Amazon products, but unfortunately, I did not find any alternative source, being the same uniform, comprehensive and trustworthy. By providing these links I do not promote using Amazon services, I do not suggest using it for your purchases, and I do not insert any referrals. Maybe in the future, I will create a catalog of C++ books, providing complete information about listed books, such as author names and brief information about them, release year, annotation, and so on.

Contributions

I would welcome any reasonable contributions in the objective to create a comprehensive and up-to-date catalog of C++ books, for all kinds of C++ programmers, with any professional background and experience. While using or replicating the content, a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License is applied.

Expressing your gratitude

I created this catalog and keep maintaining it in my spare time. If you wish to thank me for my efforts, you always can buy me a coffee.

Reference and ISO Standard

The release of the C++ Standard is quite a pricey document. However, every C++ Standard has a number of drafts before the release, and usually, the last one is almost identical to the release document. The following links to the Standard refer to the last draft versions before the release

Beginner to Programming

There's not much to add - books for beginners to C++, and probably to programming in general.

C++ Primer 5th Edition (Stanley B. Lippman, 2012)
Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++ 3rd Edition (Bjarne Stroustrup, 2024)
Beginning C++ Through Game Programming 4th Edition (Michael Dawson, 2014)
Beginning C++ Game Programming (John Horton, 2019)
Starting Out with C++ from Control Structures to Objects (Tony Gaddis, 2017)
C++ How to Program 10th Edition (Paul Deitel, Harvey Deitel, 2016)

Beginner to C++

These books are for software developers with some experience in other languages, and willing to become familiar with C++

A Tour of C++ 3rd Edition (Bjarne Stroustrup, 2022)
Beginning C++23 (Ivor Horton, Peter Van Weert, 2023)
C and C++ Under the Hood (Anthony J. Dos Reis, 2019)
Discovering Modern C++, 2nd Edition (Peter Gottschling, 2021)
C++ How to Program: An Objects-Natural Approach (Paul Deitel, Harvey Deitel, 2023)

General Books on C++

These books could be considered a "must-read" list for any kind of C++ programmer. Some of them are a bit outdated, as they cover previous versions of the C++ Standard - in this case, just skip outdated content, or better re-implement it using new features of the language.

Professional C++ 6th Edition (Marc Gregoire, 2024)
C++ Common Knowledge: Essential Intermediate Programming (Stephen C. Dewhurst, 2005)
C++ Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for C++ Programmers (D. Ryan Stephens, 2005)
Effective C++: 55 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs 3rd Edition (Scott Meyers, 2005)
Effective STL: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your Use of the Standard Template Library (Scott Meyers, 2001)
Exceptional C++: 47 Engineering Puzzles, Programming Problems, and Solutions (Herb Sutter, 1999)
More Exceptional C++: 40 New Engineering Puzzles, Programming Problems, and Solutions (Herb Sutter, 2001)
Exceptional C++ Style: 40 New Engineering Puzzles, Programming Problems, and Solutions (Herb Sutter, 2004)
C++ Coding Standards: 101 Rules, Guidelines, and Best Practices (Herb Sutter, Andrei Alexandrescu, 2004)
C++ Programming Language 4th Edition (Bjarne Stroustrup, 2013)
C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference 2nd Edition (Nicolai M. Josuttis, 2012)
Standard C++ Iostreams and Locales: Advanced Programmer's Guide and Reference (Angelika Langer, 2000)

Advanced Books on C++

If you have 5+ years of experience, you should add these books to your library as well. Again, some books may contain outdated features and approaches, but in the general picture, they still provide extremely valuable knowledge.

C++ Move Semantics - The Complete Guide (Nicolai M. Josuttis, 2020)
[Functional Programming in C++: How to improve your C++ programs using funct

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