need resources on Java/network/DB programming for non-dummies

[Seth Gordon]

I have an idea for a board game, and I'd like to implement it as a
Web-based game, because (a) creating and marketing a physical game is
more trouble than it's worth to me, and (b) doing it on the Web would
be a good exhibition and practice of my programming skills (such as
they are).

The logical, not to mention career-enhancing, way of implementing this
(correct me if I'm wrong) would be to have a server process on my own
machine using a database to keep track of game state, and Java applets
running in the players' browsers to display the board and communicate
with the server about moves.  (Note that I don't particularly care
what language the server process is written in.)

So if I want to implement this, I have to learn Java.  Can y'all
recommend books on Java that (a) are written for people who already
have some clue about programming; (b) will teach me to write applet
code that can run on a variety of browsers; (c) are well-organized
enough for me to learn what I need for *this project* without wading
through hundreds of irrelevant pages?

--
"The big dig might come in handy ... for a few project managers
 whom I think would make great landfill."  --Elaine Ashton
== seth gordon == sgordon at kenan.com == standard disclaimer ==
== documentation group, kenan systems corp., cambridge, ma ==


-
Subcription/unsubscription/info requests: send e-mail with
"subscribe", "unsubscribe", or "info" on the first line of the
message body to discuss-request at blu.org (Subject line is ignored).