Thursday, January 25, 2024

Top 5 Books to Learn Spring Boot and Spring Cloud for Java Developers - Best of Lot

Hello guys, if you are a Java developer and want to learn Spring Boot and Spring Cloud frameworks and looking for some of the best books and courses, then you have come to the right place. In the past, I have shared some of the best Spring Boot courses and Spring Cloud courses, and today I am going to talk about some of the best books to learn Spring Boot and Spring Cloud, but before that let's try to understand what is Microservice and how Spring Boot and Spring Cloud helps with the development of microservices in Java. In simple words, Microservices is nothing but an extension of RESTful web services with the fundamental idea to break up your code into small, distributed, and independent services for better scalability and management, but it does require thoughtful design and think through ability.

Fortunately, Spring Boot and Spring Cloud simplify your microservice applications by providing standard and essential features and allowing them to focus on business logic by abstracting away the details required for cloud-based development.

Just like Spring Framework simplifies enterprise Java development, Spring Boot removes the friction and boilerplate code involved with developing a REST-based service.

Similarly, Spring Cloud provides a suite of tools for the discovery, routing, and deployment of microservices to the enterprise and the cloud. So that you don't need to focus on cloud-related details and keep writing the Java application as you do now.

Since Java development is now moving towards Cloud and Microservice world, it's probably the best time to learn Spring Boot and Spring Cloud to get ready for great opportunities in the near future.

In this article, I have shared some of the best books to learn that, but if you prefer online courses over books or want to get the best of both worlds, you can also start with Master Microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud on Udemy.  It's very cheap. Also, I bought in just $13 last year on many Udemy flash sales, which happen all the time.





8 Best Spring Boot and Spring Cloud Books for Java Programmers

Coming back to books, unfortunately, there are not many good books available on these frameworks, so we don't have many choices, but at the same time, the available books are awe-inspiring, so you might not even need options.

As more and more Java developers are learning Spring Boot and Spring Cloud for developing cloud-based Java applications, you can expect more books will be written and released on these topics, but for now, here are some of the best resources you can check out to learn Spring Boot and Spring Cloud.


1. Spring Boot in Action

This is simply the best book to learn Spring Boot from none other than Craig Walls, who has taught most of the Java developers Spring Framework by his classic book Spring in Action.

Craig has a beautiful ability to explain complicated and tedious concepts in simple language with beautiful analogies, and you will find many such beautiful examples in this book as well.

The book covers almost all the essential topics about Spring Boot starting from auto-configuration, starter dependencies, and a general idea of how Spring Boot simplifies Java development.

The book then further explores advanced concepts like Spring Boot Actuator to find out what's going on inside a Spring boot application and Spring Boot CLI for even simpler Java Spring development with Groovy.

In short, one of the best books to learn Spring Boot and a must-read for Java developer who wants to master the Spring Boot framework. If you want, you can also combine this book with the Spring & Hibernate for Beginners (includes Spring Boot) udemy course for more comprehensive and active learning. 

best book to learn Spring Boot for Java programmers



2. Cloud-Native Java 

This is a gem of the book on cloud-based Java development, and I don't think there is any other book that covers cloud-based Java development and building a resilient distributed application using Spring.

Both authors, Josh Long and Kenny Bastani are authority on the Spring framework, and it shows in this book. The intros of different aspects of Spring-like MVC, configuration, cloud are excellent, and they have tried their best to keep this complex topic as simple as possible.

In the beginning, cloud terminologies and services may seem overwhelming, but if you stick around and finish the book, you would have to build a strong foundation on building a cloud-based Java application using Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, and Cloud Foundry in particular.

The book is divided into four major sections, which cover the basics, developing distributed web services and microservices, Data integration, and deployment of a cloud-based application into production, with some guidelines on continuous integration and delivery and If you need active learning, you can also combine this book with the Spring Boot Microservices with Spring Cloud Beginner to Guru course from Udemy. 

best book to learn Spring Cloud

In short, one of the most comprehensive guides for developing cloud-based Java applications. It's also on my list of 10 books every Java developers should read



3. Spring Microservices in Action

This is another excellent book on cloud-based Java development but focuses on Microservices. Actually, this is the first book I read on this topic before starting with Cloud-Native Java.

The author, John Carnell, is a senior cloud engineer with twenty years of experience in Java, and it shows in this book. He has done an excellent job of explaining critical microservice concepts and patterns like configuration, routing, scaling, and deploying your service with real-life examples.

This book will also teach you how to build microservice-based applications using Java and the Spring platform. You will not only learn concepts but also get some hands-on experience with microservice design as you develop and deploy your first Spring Cloud application.

In short, an ideal book for Java developers with some Spring experience who wants to develop Microservice in Java.

best book to learn Microservices with Spring




4. Learning Spring Boot 3.0

This is another awesome book to learn Spring Boot 2.0, the latest version of the popular Spring Boot framework. The author, Greg, is also an authority on Spring and works at Pivotal, the company behind the Spring Framework.

He is a member of the Spring Data team and the lead for Spring Session MongoDB. He is also involved with the development of Spring Boot, Spring HATEOAS, and Spring Data REST while also serving as editor-at-large for Spring's Getting Started Guide.

All this experience shows in this book. I particularly liked how well he explains things, up-to-minor-level details. For example, in the first Spring Boot examples, he really explains thoroughly what is @SpringBootAppliation is doing in terms of scanning for Spring component recursively, enabling auto-configuration, and also stating that the class itself can be a source of Spring beans.

He then goes out and explains the log and proves his points, which really consolidate the learning. The book not only covers Spring Boot but also very rich in testing Spring application, as Greg himself is a test junky, having written the Python Testing Cookbook.

It also explores the landscape of developing microservice with Spring Boot and deploying Spring Boot application into production. In short, a perfect book to learn Spring Boot for Java developers.

best Spring boot books for java programmers




5. Mastering Spring Boot 2.0

This is another, relatively newer book on Spring Boot by Dinesh Rajput. He is a fellow Java blogger and Spring enthusiast. He is also a Pivotal Certified Spring Professional and author of Spring 5 Design Patterns, another fantastic book on Spring framework.

The full title of the book is "Mastering Spring Boot 2.0: Build modern, cloud-native, and distributed systems using Spring Boot," and as the extended title explains, it also covers Spring Cloud and cloud-based Java development.

In this book, you will start with Spring Boot 2.0, the latest version of the Spring framework, and then learn essential features like auto-configuration, starter dependencies, Actuator, Spring Boot CLI, etc.

Once you are familiar with the basics, you will explore advanced things like customizing auto-configuration to meet your expectations. After that, the book explores the Microservice and Cloud landscape by introducing key Spring boot tools and services.

In short, the book covers everything you need to know for developing a spring-based Java microservice, starting from development to testing and deployment.

best book to master Spring Boot 2.0



6. Spring Boot: Up and Running: Building Cloud Native Java and Kotlin Applications

This is another  great book to learn Spring Boot, a widely acclaimed Java framework with over 75 million monthly downloads. Authored by Mark Heckler from VMware, the company behind Spring, this practical guide holds a commendable 4.3 out of 5 stars from 69 reviews. 

Spring Boot has revolutionized application development, and this book serves as an essential resource to navigate its architecture and approach. 

Mark Heckler guides readers through topics such as debugging, testing, and deployment, making it easier for developers to harness the framework's simplicity and power. The book focuses on building cloud-native Java and Kotlin applications with an emphasis on reactive programming, API development, and diverse database access methods. 

Whether you are a novice or an experienced developer, the content covers essential aspects, including deploying Spring Boot applications, monitoring system health, and securing cloud-based applications. 

Overall, it's an indispensable tool for those looking to enhance their skills in modern application development. If you need a course to go along this book, I recommend Ranga Karnam's Master Spring Boot 3 & Spring Framework 6 with Java course on Udemy. It's a great resource to learn latest version of Spring Boot. 

Magnus Larsson's 'Microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud: Build resilient and scalable microservices using Spring Cloud, Istio, and Kubernetes, 3nd Edition' is a comprehensive guide with a stellar rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars from 90 reviews. 

This updated edition seamlessly integrates the latest versions of Spring, Java, Kubernetes, and Istio, providing an enhanced exploration of Spring Boot, local Kubernetes clusters, and Istio installation. The book addresses the challenges of developing large-scale microservice architectures and offers practical insights into building cloud-native, production-ready microservices. 

With a focus on scalability, resilience, and security, the book covers a range of topics including OAuth 2.1, Docker deployment, Kubernetes management, and Istio application for enhanced security, observability, and traffic management. 

From reactive microservices to centralized logging with the EFK stack, Magnus Larsson's guide equips developers with the skills to build, deploy, and manage robust microservices using Spring Boot and Spring Cloud. 

Targeted at Java or Spring Boot developers with a solid grasp of Java and Spring Boot, this book is an invaluable resource for those venturing into microservices architecture or seeking to enhance their existing skills in this dynamic field

If you are looking for a Spring Boot book to prepare interviews then you can also checkout my book, Grokking the Spring Boot Interview which is available on both Gumroad and Amazon. The book serves as a comprehensive resource, delving into essential Java frameworks such as Spring, Spring Boot, and Hibernate. 

In this book, I have extended the work I did for , 'Grokking the Java Interview,' by focusing on common Spring Framework questions encountered in job interviews. Covering crucial topics like Container, Dependency, IOC, Spring MVC, Spring Boot, and Spring Security, the book provides a wealth of insights compiled from the my decade-long experience in writing Java and Spring articles, tutorials, and interview questions. 

This book is an indispensable resource for those preparing for Java and Spring Boot interviews or the Spring Professional Certification Exam, the book offers not only confidence-building knowledge but also practical guidance on steering Java interviews in one's favor. Though, for better preparation I suggest you to take my Java + Spring + SQL Interview Bundle, you can also use discount code friends20 to get a 20% discount. 






That's all about some of the best books to learn Spring Boot and Spring Cloud, two of the leading Java frameworks for developing cloud-based Java applications. These books will not only help you to learn basics but also gives you the hands-on experience you need to create and deploy your own Java application on the cloud.

For the most purpose, these books should be enough to learn cloud-based Java development, but if you need more assistance, you can also refer to the Udemy courses mentioned along with books for more instructor-led learning.


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Thanks for reading this article so far. If you like these best Spring Boot and Spring Cloud books, then please share them with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback, then please drop a note.

P. S. - If you want to combine these books with an online course, I suggest you join the Master Microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud course on Udemy. This is one of the better courses I have read on Microservices and how to implement it in Java using the Spring framework. It's and also very affordable, I bought it for just $10 recently.

3 comments:

  1. Great collection of books, thanks a lot for sharing. Though, I have only read Spring Boot in Action so far.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 7th book in this list is probably the most interesting book I have come across on Microservices with Spring boot so far.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello my dear, i've appreciate this article. I'm a true beginner in IT and in Java developpement. I want to know if i Can have One of this book in french version. I don't speak English very well and read.

    ReplyDelete