12 Best Spring Books in 2023 | Learn the Spring Framework

Created and released in 2003 by Rod Johnson, Spring is an open-source application framework that’s one of the most popular for building enterprise-scale Java applications, as it allows devs to focus on the application rather than the infrastructure.

With cloud-based Java applications being one of the trends to watch in 2023, Java Spring skills are more essential than ever for Java devs that want to stay ahead of the curve when looking for new roles. And with Spring devs earning annual salaries of nearly $90K, whether you’re a Java newbie or a seasoned developer, there’s never been a better time to learn Spring.

But how should you go about learning Spring in 2023? Well, you can’t go wrong with the best Spring courses or one of the best Spring books. 

That’s where this article comes in, as we’ve found the 12 best Spring books in 2023, ranging from total beginner to more specialized options for more experienced Java devs. So let’s dive in!

How to Choose the Best Spring Books in 2023?

With so many options, finding the best Spring framework book can be difficult, as you need to reflect on your goals and consider which aspect of Spring to learn first.

To help you on your learning journey, we researched a whole lot of Spring books when narrowing down our list to the 15 best Spring books in 2023. To do this, we considered the following factors: 

• Variety of Content: We looked for a diverse range of topics for various skill levels
• Publish Date: We emphasized newer publications to include the latest developments
• Length: We looked for books of varying lengths, from quick overviews to in-depth guides
• Rating: We focused on books that readers found helpful, informative, and engaging
• Format: We chose books in multiple formats (print, eBook, audiobook) for flexibility 

The 14 Best Spring Books in 2023

1. Spring in Action, Sixth Edition

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Why We Chose This Book

Now updated for Spring 5.3 (released October 2020), our findings show that this Spring book continues to help thousands of developers learn the framework and boost their productivity in the process. Spring in Action also includes many real-world examples to help readers learn practically.

Written by the highly experienced Craig Walls, this guide to the Spring framework covers how to build reactive apps, how to develop web apps, reactive programming techniques, using Spring Security to secure your applications, relational & NoSQL databases, and more.

Features:

• Includes four parts: Foundational Spring, Integrated Spring, Reactive Spring, and Deployed Spring
• A comprehensive guide for beginner to intermediate learners, including examples
• Purchasing in Paperback and you also get the digital (Kindle, ePub, and PDF) versions for free

2. Pro Spring 5: An In-Depth Guide to the Spring Framework and Its Tools, 5th Edition

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Why We Chose This Book

Our research indicates that Pro Spring 5 is a book for intermediate learners that want to deepen their understanding of Spring 5 with Java 9.

With this book, you can learn the basics and core concepts alongside more advanced topics like mastering data access and transactions, how to create microservices, and more.

This book was also written by a range of highly qualified authors, including Iuliana Cosmina who touts a resume that includes being a Spring Certified Web Developer and Spring Certified Core Spring Professional, and Chris Schaefer who is currently an engineering manager at VMWare.

Features

• 1717 pages long and is practically a technical manual on Spring 5
• Features the authors’ insights and real-world experiences
• Includes a full sample application to help deepen learners’ understanding

3. Spring Boot: Up and Running, First Edition

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Why We Chose This Book

Spring Boot: Up & Running is a fantastic resource for beginners and intermediate learners as it covers everything a developer must know to be able to write apps with Spring Boot, from setup all the way to deployment. 

Based on our observations, readers will learn topics like Spring Boot architecture, app and system health monitoring, reactive apps (and building them), and more. Readers will also learn how to debug, test, and secure cloud-based applications.

You’ll also be learning from Mark Heckler, who not only works at VMWare but is also a Spring developer and advocate.

Features

• Takes a practical approach
• Offers examples for hands-on learning
• Learn from code snippets all throughout

4. Spring 5 Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach 4th Edition

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Why We Chose This Book

Spring 5 Recipes is certainly in contention for the best book for Spring if you need code recipes that can make your development process much easier overall.

Our findings show that it also covers other topics, like Spring MVC for web development, using Grails code, working with Spring REST & microservices, and more.

What’s more, this Spring book was written by three experienced authors who are long-time users and advocates of Spring, with Martin Deinum being a Spring Framework contributor.

Features

• Includes real-world examples
• Save time in development by copying configurable code recipes that you can modify as needed
• 1600+ pages covering various Spring 5 topics

5. Cloud Native Java: Designing Resilient Systems with Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, and Cloud Foundry, 1st Edition

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Why We Chose This Book

This is ideal if you want to learn how to create cloud-native apps using Spring Boot. Based on our observations, this book is great for learning about cloud-native principles, Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, Security, Cloud Foundry, data integration, and more.

You’ll also benefit from the experience of authors Josh Long and Kenny Bastani, as both have a proven track record as Spring Developers and contributors to the Spring Framework Project.

Features

• Divided into four sections for more organized learning
• Comprehensive topic coverage, starting from the basics
• Less focus on the theoretical; includes many examples for practical learning

6. Learning Spring Boot 3.0: Simplify the Development of Production-Grade Applications Using Java and Spring

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Why We Chose This Book

Our findings show that this book is fantastic for novices with Java knowledge but also a great read for more experienced Spring developers. It covers the basics along with how to use Spring Boot to create web apps, using Spring Boot for testing, securing an app, working with data reactively, and more.

Learning Spring Boot 3.0 is one of the best books for Spring, especially if you’re looking for an updated resource on this framework, with author Greg Turnquist publishing this new version in December 2022 after Boot 3.0 launched in November of the same year. What’s more, you’ll be learning from an author that works at VMWare on the Spring team, so you’re in great hands.

Features

• Hands-on approach using exercises
• You will get a free eBook PDF with your purchase in print or Kindle format
• Every chapter teaches a skill, with discussions on theory before moving into examples

7. Spring Microservices in Action, Second Edition

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Why We Chose This Book

This is another contender for the best book for the Spring framework if you want to learn about microservices.

Our research revealed that this SPring book is a comprehensive guide for experienced Java and Spring devs who want to learn about microservice-based apps. Expect to learn about microservice architecture, design principles and best practices for microservices, securing and deploying microservices, resiliency patterns with Resilience4j, and of course, the Spring framework itself.

This highly-rated book was also written by two very qualified authors, as John Carnell has over 20 years of Java experience, while Illary Huaylup Sánchez has an MBA in IT Management and over a dozen years of Java experience.

Features

• When you purchase a print copy, you will get a free ebook in PDF, Kindle, or ePub format
• Offers an objective approach to the topic of microservices within the Spring framework
• Includes easy-to-follow instructions

8. Spring Boot in Action, First Edition

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Why We Chose This Book

Spring Boot in Action teaches learners how to use Spring Boot for app development via simple examples to explain concepts in a clear and organized manner.

While it would be nice to see it updated, our findings show that his book covers the essential topics, including developing your first app with Spring Boot, testing with Spring Boot, applying Grails, deploying applications, Spring Boot CLI (Groovy), and more.

As an added bonus, author Craig Walls (a software engineer at VMWare) also provides insights from his years of experience in Spring development.

Features

• Purchasing the print book gets you a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats
• Covers Spring Boot 1.3
• Developer-focused guide

9. Spring Security in Action

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Why We Chose This Book

Based on our observations, this book is primarily for experienced Java and Spring developers who want to learn about Spring security, including encoding passwords, authenticating users, setting up standalone auth servers, securing endpoints, automating security testing, and more.

Due to the complexity of the topics included, this book is not ideal for novices, but for more experienced devs, you’ll appreciate author Laurentiu Spilca’s experience as a skilled Java/Spring developer.

Features

• Purchasing in print will also get you a free eBook in Kindle, PDF, or ePub format
• Includes hands-on exercises but balances theory as well
• Well-structured and written with step-by-step guides

10. Microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud, Second Edition

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Why We Chose This Book

This comprehensive Spring book is an excellent resource for learning how to build and deploy production-quality microservice apps with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud from an author with more than 35 years of experience working for organizations like Ericsson, Volvo, and AstraZeneca.

Based on our research, readers can expect to learn how to create apps that are focused on resiliency, scalability, observability, and security. You’ll also cover topics like building reactive microservices with Boot, developing scalable yet resilient microservices with Spring Cloud, using Spring Security and OAuth 2.1/OIDG for public API protection, and more.

Features

• Recently updated to its second edition
• Contains plenty of clear examples
• Shows alternative methods of achieving the same goals with Spring Cloud, Kubernetes, etc.

11. Spring Boot Persistence Best Practices: Optimize Java Persistence Performance in Spring Boot Applications, First Edition

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Why We Chose This Book

Our findings show that this is a great choice for novices and experienced developers alike who want to go in-depth on persistence with Spring Boot, an essential aspect of handling and manipulating data from databases and other data storage mechanisms. 

You can also expect to learn best practices for batching inserts, updates, and deletes, along with how to exploit Spring Projections (DTO) effectively, pagination techniques, and more.

Features

• A fantastic collection of code recipes for persisting data using Spring Boot
• Teaches best practices
• Teaches the fundamentals for applying persistence solutions to Spring-based Enterprise apps

12. Learn Microservices with Spring Boot: A Practical Approach to RESTful Services Using an Event-Driven Architecture, Cloud-Native Patterns, and Containerization; Second Edition

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Why We Chose This Book

This Spring book is a comprehensive guide that starts with an intro to microservices, including their benefits, before diving into advanced topics, including implementation.

Our research indicates that readers can expect to learn about topics like using Spring Boot to build microservices, routing requests using Spring Cloud Gateway, Docker containerization, using event-driven architecture & messaging with Rabbit MQ, and more.

Features

• Comprehensive guide and resource for developers with Java experience
• Teaches readers about microservice architecture and using Spring Boot to implement it
• Hands-on and practical approach, including exercises and code examples

Conclusion

In 2023, Java Spring continues to be one the most popular application frameworks for building enterprise-scaled Java applications, making Java Spring skills essential for Java newbies and seasoned Java developers alike.

To help you on your Java Spring journey, this article has covered the 12 best Spring books you need to read in 2023, with options for total beginners and some more advanced and specialty suggestions for experienced Java devs.

We hope our guide has helped you find the best book to learn Spring. Happy Learning!

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The Top Spring Interview Questions and Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Is a Java Spring Book?

Spring is one of Java’s most popular frameworks, often used in developing enterprise applications. A Spring textbook is a book that teaches readers about the framework and acts as a reference or resource otherwise.

2. What Is a Java Spring Boot Book?

Java Spring Boot books are designed to teach the core concepts of Spring Boot, namely that it’s built on top of the Spring framework, uses many core features, including inversion of control (IoC), dependency injection, and aspect-oriented programming (AOP), and also provides pre-configured templates and boilerplate code to reduce the time and effort to deploy a Spring application.

3. What Is the Main Concept of Spring?

The main concept of Spring is to provide a lightweight, modular, and scalable framework for building enterprise-scale Java applications, and it does this via several core concepts, including Inversion of Control (IoC, Dependency Injection (DI), Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP).

4. Is Spring Boot the Same as Java EE (Jakarta EE)?

Spring Boot and Jakarta EE (formerly Java EE) share some similarities, including a focus on building enterprise-scale Java applications, but they have different origins and architectures. Spring Boot is a lightweight and opinionated framework that builds on top of the Spring framework to simplify the development of Spring apps, while Jakarta EE sets standards and specifications for building enterprise applications using Java.

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