I Have Read 20+ Books on Spring Framework & Spring Boot — Here Are My Top 5 Recommendations for…
I Have Read 20+ Books on Spring Framework & Spring Boot — Here Are My Top 5 Recommendations for 2026
My favorite Spring Framework and Spring Boot Books for Java developers
The Spring ecosystem continues to evolve at an incredible pace. Spring Boot 3.x, Spring Framework 6, Spring Security updates, AOT transformations, and the rise of reactive systems mean developers need to keep learning continuously.
Having spent the last decade working with Spring, reviewing codebases, and helping developers transition from senior engineers to architects, I’ve made it a habit to read extensively.
Over the years, I’ve read 20+ books on Spring, Spring Boot, and the broader Spring ecosystem. Some books are too basic. Some are too theoretical. Some are outdated. But a handful of them deliver long-lasting value, whether you’re building REST APIs, microservices, or cloud-native applications.
In this guide, I want to share the top 5 Spring books I recommend for 2026 — the books I keep returning to, the ones that actually improved my understanding of the framework, and the ones that deliver the most hands-on value.
I’ve also included optional course suggestions alongside each book, so you can deepen your learning by combining reading with hands-on video instruction.
Let’s begin.
5 Best Spring Framework and Spring Boot Books for Java Developers in 2026
Without any further ado, here are the top Spring books Java developers can read in 2026 to learn both Spring Framework and Spring Boot in depth. I have also shared courses with each book which you can join to get active learning and best of both worlds.
1. Spring in Action (6th Edition)
Author: Craig Walls
Why It’s in the Top 5: Most complete, best foundational Spring book available
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
For years, Spring in Action has been the de facto classic for Java developers learning Spring. The 6th edition continues this legacy by covering Spring Framework 6, Spring Boot 3, and the core concepts that every Java developer should master.
Its strength is in its clarity: dependency injection, bean lifecycle, Spring MVC, configuration options, and real-world examples are explained in a way that’s easy to follow but deep enough to stick with you for years.
If you want a single book that gives you a complete grounding in the Spring ecosystem, this is still the #1 pick.
Recommended Course to Pair With It:
Spring Framework 6: Beginner to Guru (Udemy) — This course perfectly complements the book by giving you hands-on coding practice.
Here is the link to get the book — Spring in Action (6th Edition)
2. Spring Start Here
Author: Laurentiu Spilca
Why It’s in the Top 5: The best “learn Spring the right way” book for 2026
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
If Spring in Action is the classic, Spring Start Here is the modern learning path every new Spring developer should follow.
The book focuses not only on what Spring does, but why it exists, how it eliminates boilerplate, and how Spring Boot’s opinionated approach accelerates development.
It’s practical, hands-on, and teaches you concepts the right way — context, wiring, data access, transactions, REST APIs, testing, and more.
Developers consistently say: “I finally understand Spring after reading this.”
It’s also one of the few books that balances conceptual clarity with real-world application.
Recommended Course to Pair With It:
Learn Spring: The Certification Class (Baeldung) — A very detailed, guided course for mastering Spring 6 & Spring Boot 3 by Spring expert, Eugen Parashiv of Baeldung
Here is the link to get this book — Spring Start Here
3. Spring Microservices in Action (2nd Edition)
Author: John Carnell
Why It’s in the Top 5: Best book for real-world microservice design with Spring
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
The industry is shifting more heavily toward distributed architectures, event-driven systems, orchestration, and scalable cloud services. If you want to build microservices using Spring Boot and Spring Cloud, this is the book.
It covers essential microservice patterns:
- Service discovery
- Configuration management
- API gateways
- Inter-service communication
- Fault tolerance
- Observability
- Deployment patterns
It’s practical, example-driven, and helps you build production-quality microservices from scratch.
Recommended Course to Pair With It:
Master Microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud (Ranga Karnam) — Great for hands-on experience.
Here is the link to get the book — Spring Microservices in Action (2nd Edition)
4. Reactive Spring
Author: Josh Long
Why It’s in the Top 5: The best resource for Reactive Programming & Spring WebFlux
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Reactive programming is becoming increasingly relevant as applications need higher concurrency and lower latency. With the rise of high-throughput event-driven systems, learning WebFlux and Project Reactor is crucial.
This book teaches:
- Reactive streams
- Mono & Flux
- Project Reactor
- WebFlux controllers
- R2DBC
- Testing reactive systems
- Reactive microservices
- RSocket and much more.
Since it’s written by Josh Long himself, it’s as authoritative as it gets.
Recommended Course to Pair With It:
You can also combine this book with Josh Long’s popular Spring course on Frontend Masters, the Enterprise Java with Spring Boot by Josh Long A hands-on course for mastering Spring Boot.
Here is the link to get the book — Reactive Spring
5. Spring Security in Action
Author: Laurentiu Spilca
Why It’s in the Top 5: The best deep dive into Spring Security available
Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Security is often the most misunderstood part of Spring, and this book fixes that problem. The early chapters feel slow, but once the book picks up momentum, it becomes the best guide to understanding authentication, authorization, filter chains, security context, method security, and CSRF.
The author walks you through every concept with real code, deep explanation, and practical exercises. It’s one of the most complete security books ever written.
Key topics covered:
- Security filter chain
- Custom authentication
- Method-level security
- OAuth2
- JWT
- Protecting REST APIs
- Security testing
If you’re serious about building secure applications in 2026, this is mandatory reading.
Recommended Course to Pair With It:
Spring Security Core: Beginner to Guru (Udemy) — The course explains real-world Spring Security setups and hands-on configs.
Here is the link to get this book — Spring Security in Action
Honorable Mention: Spring Boot: Up & Running
Author: Mark Heckler
A great addition if you want deeper understanding of cloud-native, reactive, and production-ready Spring Boot.
You can also combine this book with the High Performance spring persistence course by another Java champion Vlad Mihalcea to truly master high performance spring and spring boot.
He is also offering 50% discount now, which is rare and probably expire very soon.
Final Thoughts: Why These 5 Books Stand Out in 2026
After reading more than 20 books on Spring, I chose these five because they:
- Are up-to-date with Spring Boot 3.x and Spring 6 features
- Balance theory with hands-on guidance
- Go deeper than the typical online tutorials
- Help both senior developers and architects level up
- Cover the complete Spring stack: core, web, microservices, security, and reactive
If you’re looking to grow your Spring skills in 2026 — whether for career growth, architecture roles, or high-performance engineering — these books give you everything you need to go from intermediate to highly advanced.
P. S. — If you are serious about becoming a Java expert, particularly on high performance domain then I also recommend you to join Vlad Mihalcea’s High Performance Course Bundle where he has shared his experience on building high performance Spring and Hibernate applications. If you don’t know Vlad is a Java champion and author of popular book, High performance Java persistence.
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