The 13 Best HTML5 Books of 2012

Murach’s HTML5 and CSS3

Murach’s book is an excellent introductory book for beginners, but works as a touch-up tool for those with some experience in web design and development. There is plenty of reference material neatly laid out throughout the book, clearly identified separately from the learning material. The changes made to HTML4 are also clearly marked throughout the book for the more discerning reader. If you are just getting into HTML5 and CSS3, this book works well because it also includes all the basics of HTML and CSS. For those wanting a pure resource on HTML5, this book may not sit too well. It covers subjects such as Javascript and jQuery which, while relevant, distracts readers. Read more..

Teach Yourself VISUALLY HTML5

The Teach Yourself Visually series has become quite popular, and the HTML5 version is a solid addition to the collection. The book is full of clean and clear step-by-step screenshots that detail and describe how to solver more than 165 HTML5 tasks. It does an excellent job at teaching the fundamentals of HTML5 and CSS in a quick and effective manner to beginners. If you or someone you know is a visual learner (especially homeschoolers or the next generation of younger web designers), this book is perfect. Read more..

Introducing HTML5

Introducing HTML5 is a solid introduction to the new semantics and application-oriented technologies that make up the HTML5 spec. The new and important elements are explained and discussed in-depth, bringing those already familiar with HTML up to speed. You can expect to see the new HTML5, HTML5 Audio and Video and the relevant JavaScript, Canvas, Messages, Web Workers and Web Sockets covered in-depth. The writing style is informative but not long-winded, focusing on the semantics of the new elements and going into great detail with plenty of examples. Read more..

Foundation HTML5 Canvas: For Games and Entertainment

This book focuses on the new HTML5 canvas, which lets developers make browser-based interactive games and applications without the need for plug-ins such as Flash. It is perfect for both beginners and experienced users, with thorough examples and explanations of new tags and techniques.

Beginning with friendly introduction (no experience required) to JavaScript and jQuery, the book clearly demonstrates how JS works and how to use it successfully with HTML5. The physics and mathematics of animating and game/application programming is explained in simpler terms for those (like me) who don’t consider themselves too technical minded. Read more..

HTML5 Cookbook

The HTML5 Cookbook is very hands-on, making sure you get practical experience with a wide range of new HTML5 elements. It is a must for those wanting to take advantage of the new capabilities HTML5 brings to web development. Each segment in the book deals with a particular HTML5 feature using a problem-solution-discussion method of teaching. It is also jam-packed with plenty of external references for further information. Each segment gets progressively more complex as you follow through the book, with advanced HTML5 subjects and challenges appearing in the later chapters. The one’s a definite read for those with HTML experience and wanting to power ahead with HTML5. Read more..

Sergey’s HTML5 & CSS3: Quick Reference

Sergey’s Quick Reference is a comprehensive ‘cheat sheet’ divided into sections on HTML5 syntax, tags, CSS3 attributes and JavaScript API’s. It is aimed at experienced designers who don’t need tags and fundamentals explained to them in detail. Full of illustrations, and not an extremely large and intimidating reference book, it makes an excellent supplement to a HTML5 for Beginners book. The book is written with no comical quips or philosophical commentary. It simply contains information on syntax, elements, attributes, values, events, key concepts and definitions, and browser compatibility tables, and plenty of sample code.  Read more..

Robin Nixon’s HTML5 Crash Course: Learn HTML & HTML5 in 20 Easy Lectures

Loaded with examples and exercises (which improve your skills dramatically if followed through), this book is a great start if you are familiar with HTML basics and want to get a real understanding of HTML5. It thoroughly covers HTML5 topics such as geolocation, background web works, offline web applications, microdata, local storage engines, new form tags and attributes. It acts as a guide aimed at beginners and covering traditional HTML and JavaScript skills which will be required when working with many of the new HTML5 elements. Well worth it!  Read more..

HTML5 & CSS3 For The Real World

This easy-to-follow guide covers everything you need to know to get started today. It takes on several important topics and explains them in a straight-forward, practical manner. Besides HTML5 and CSS3, it introduces JavaScript/API topics like geolocation, offline web apps, web storage, Canvas, SVG, and drag and drop. One thing to note with this book is that knowledge of the basics of HTML and CSS is assumed and not covered in great depth. This allows it to focus primarily on HTML5 and CSS3 rather than act as a refresher course. As the title suggests, the authors follow a pragmatic, realistic approach using examples that work well in the real world with current popular browsers.  Read more..

The Definitive Guide to HTML5

This ambitious, 1000-page volume covers HTML, CSS, and JavaScript as it relates to HTML. Besides this, it focuses on HTML5 and introduces all its elements and their associated complementary APIs. Surprisingly, the writing style is clear and easy to follow. Plenty of examples and references litter the pages, with complete tables of attributes, functions, elements and methods included where relevant. After the introductory chapters introduce the reader to the basics of the most important web languages, more advanced topics are then covered. These included AJAX, audio/video objects, Canvas and other new elements introduced with HTML5. A very solid book for beginners and more advanced readers alike.  Read more..

Pro HTML5 Programming

This book is, as the title suggests, aimed at developers with plenty of experience and knowledge. It focuses on the latest cutting-edge HTLM5 tricks and techniques to teach its readers how to build fast, responsive and functional web applications. This book does not go too deeply into the fundamentals for beginning students, instead opting to cover new, more advanced HTML5 topics in depth. New elements and topics for HTML5 including SVG, Drag and Drop, Audio/Video, Canvas, etc. are covered in-depth.  Read more..

Pro HTML5 Programming: Powerful APIs for Richer Internet Application Development

This book is targeted at a more advanced audience already familiar with HTML5 and ready to take advantage of what HTML5 has to offer. Serious coding examples and information is succinctly presented throughout the book, answering any questions readers may have on the elements introduced with HTML5. This book is a solid asset for the veterans who want to start using the language today.  Read more..

HTML5: The Missing Manual

The Missing Manual series are great for beginners and students looking to learn their chosen languages. For those new to the scene the reading style is quite simple and easy to follow, with plenty of introductory examples and explanations. Plenty of online resources are mentioned and link throughout the book to help the reader gain a better understanding of the tags and examples given. If you are an experienced reader you should probably grab something a little more advanced. This book is a solid introduction to the language and its use, but not something completely satisfying to those wanting to master HTML5. If you want a beginner-friendly initiation into what HTML5 brings to the table, this book is ideal.  Read more..

HTML5 for Masterminds

This is a massive, well-written book that comes recommended for both beginners and advances users alike. Refreshers on HTML and CSS are included as the HTML5 and CSS3 languages are introduced. The book also introduces and covers JavaScript. However, the majority of the book is spent presenting a ton of examples and material which works with all of these languages. This works well for me as these languages are all intertwined to form the backbone of the majority of websites. The biggest complaint I hear from others is that no index is included, with chapter references a bare substitute. The books complementary website provides plenty of links and resources to act as useful supplement material.  Read more..