Ask HN: Books to learn 6502 ASM and the Apple II

Recommendations from 70 sampled comments out of 70 eligible comments. This page covers the sample, rather than the entire HN thread.

17 books

andreybaskov · Jan 27, 2026
obviously Programming the 6502 by Rodnay Zaks
Tor3 · Jan 27, 2026
I bought the first edition of "Programming the 6502" way back in the neolithic, and I enjoyed it greatly.
einr · Jan 27, 2026
I believe one of the "standard works" to learn 6502 back in the day was Programming the 6502 by Rodnay Zaks.
vparikh · Jan 27, 2026
https://archive.org/details/ataribooks-machine-language-for-...
kenjackson · Jan 27, 2026
This is what I read as a middle schooler learning 6502 on a C64.
billygoat · Jan 27, 2026
Machine Language for Beginners, Charles Mansfield
Gracana · Jan 27, 2026
Assembly Lines is the one I came to recommend. Great book to sit down with and work your way through.
joezydeco · Jan 27, 2026
Sather's book is the most comprehensive I've ever read.
eej71 · Jan 27, 2026
https://archive.org/details/A2_Hyde_6502_Asm_Lang/mode/1up
runjake · Jan 27, 2026
6502 Assembly Language Programming by Leventhal.
aa-jv · Jan 27, 2026
Rodney Zaks' books are great - I like especially "6502 Games", which taught me a lot back in the day
i_don_t_know · Jan 27, 2026
I really enjoyed Advanced 6502 Programming. It's a project-based tutorial for a custom 6502 machine.
ThinkingGuy · Jan 27, 2026
Apple II 6502 Assembly Language Tutor (1983) Richard E Haskell
jsrcout · Jan 28, 2026
The Apple II Reference Manual includes assembly listings
wang_li · Jan 27, 2026
the Assembly Lines books by Roger Wagner is fantastic.
wang_li · Jan 27, 2026
Sandy Mossberg's Disassembly Lines articles in Nibble magazine were great too.