Best book to learn C from the beginning?

Question

DUPE : http://stackoverflow.com/questions/464287/i-want-to-learn-c-closed

(and even that question was closed as duplicate)

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Not quite a programming question but important none the less: Which book would everyone recommend for learning C programming language right from the beginning? I have been mostly doing JAVA for the last 2 years but not proficient enough for it to be a major issue. (I know that C isn't really OOP.)

I also want the teaching not to be platform orientated since I use a combination of Linux, Unix and Windows machines.

All I really need a concise book for someone that know most of the basics of programming.

Thanks!

Answer 1

K&R - the classic text.

http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Language-Prentice-Hall-Software/dp/0131103628/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1238263082&sr=11-1

[Assuming you're interested in C - not C++.]

Answer 2

K&R is like the ultimate source for learning C

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_C_Programming_Language_(book)

Answer 3

Harbinson & Steele - http://www.careferencemanual.com/ Similar Q here as well. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/446589/getting-started-in-c-programming

Answer 4

I'd recommend this :-

C Professional Programmers by Keith Tizzard # ISBN-10: 0745801323

I don't think it's in print, although it is available second hand for a few dollars from Amazon. First published in 1987 it's less than 200 pages long and covers just everything that K&R does, but in a somewhat more accessible manner as it tends to explain why things are the way they are more than K&R - which can be gnomic in places. The level it's pitched at is excellent if you're already a programmer as it assumes you know how to code but need to learn how to code in C.

Myself I learnt C though a combination of this book and K&R - they complement each other nicely and I'd recommend having both (as you just have to have K&R).

There's only one review on Amazon (not by me) but it's a five star and I'd agree wholeheartedly with it:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of best books on C I've ever read, November 6, 2001 What makes this book stand out is all the example code it provides. The author is also very concise yet amazingly complete. Forget K&R, this is the C Book you need to have on your shelf.

Answer 5

C in a nutshell is very nice, I'm not sure if it's the best one to start learning, but its a great reference and its quite compact.