Rating: 
Summary: Good, but sometimes spotty indexing
Review: This is a solid book, and an effective tutorial, but it is sometimes frustrating as a reference. It will tell you pretty much everything you need to know about writing real applications with Servlets and/or JSP, including good coverage of how to integrate multiple JSPs and servlets together to build a real application. This is important, because who really creates websites where the pages don't have to integrate together?This book includes a reasonable discussion of the various JSP/servlet engines out there, and how to set up Apache Tomcat, the reference implementation (the commercial implementations are easier to set up). It also has good coverage of all the standard topics, like HTML form data, dealing with HTTP headers and status codes, using cookies, and session management. It also includes a reasonable chapter on JDBC and another on JavaBeans, and if you understand SQL and your needs aren't very elaborate, you may not need to buy another book on either topic. It also includes code for some handy utilities like a simple database connection pool (important since you almost certainly want your web application to be multithreaded) and a visual HTTP client that lets you specify the HTTP headers to send and view all the headers that are returned. Overall, this book is clear and thorough and I highly recommend it. However, I still found this frustrating at times, due to the indexing. For example, in its discussion of sharing Java beans between multiple JSPs, it discusses the ability to share beans at different scopes--session, page, request, and application. The problem is, it doesn't define what is and isn't included in application-level scope, or how you define some pages to be part of an application but not others. If you plan to have multiple applications on your web server, this is important. Like several other topics I looked for, there was no way to find this using the index, though it may be in the book somewhere. I finally solved this by going to the Apache Tomcat documentation. Still, occasional frustrations aside, I have yet to find another book this good on the subject, and it did teach me how to build applications out of JSPs effectively. So even though it's not perfect, I recommend it to anyone who needs to understand the topic.
Rating: 
Summary: Core Servlets and JavaServer Pages
Review: Written from a programmer's perspective but assuming almost no knowledge (other that HTML and a basic understanding of Java), Marty Hall begins by carefully explaining the basics of Servlets, development environments, and Servlet programming. He does not begin with JSP until the second half of the book. Covers servlets, JSP tag libraries, sessions, beans, and JDBC. Also covers Installation, setup, and configuration of the following servlet containers: Tomcat, JRun, IBM Websphere, Sun's Java Web Server and JavaServer Web Development Kit, BEA Weblogic, New Atlanta ServletExec. Stepwise explanation of server details, including how to register web applications for each. The examples assume a basic understanding of Java and HTML but nothing else. Stepwise instructions for setting up the servlet container, classpath settings, and compiling and using packaged files. Tons of examples from useful utilities to learning tools (ShowCGIVariables.java) Make this book a highly valuable book. How to get the most out of this book:
Although all of the examples are online and can be downloaded, you will learn more from typing them in by hand and compiling them yourself, comments and all. When doing this, keep the J2SE API and javax.servlet docs loaded in a browser window so that you may quickly look up classes and methods (*do* look up unfamiliar classes). Do the examples in the first few chapters as prescribed. This will give you a more complete and intimate understanding of how JSP's really work. Also see 'More Servlets and JavaServer Pages,' (same author & publisher). These two books are the best books I have found on this topic.
Rating: 
Summary: 1st Edition available for free
Review: the first edition of this book is available as a free download from http://pdf.coreservlets.com/. I have not read this book but heard it is good. I gave it 3 stars since it is an older version
Rating:
Summary: THE definitive guide for servlets and JSP
Review: This book is excellent for those who want to get a firm understanding of servlets and JSP quickly. Don't let the quick part fool you. This book is no overview. It provides detailed coverage of both technologies, but it is so well written that anyone from the professional developer to the hobbyist should find it an easy read. I am new to Java development and was recently given a project to take our current customer service system and convert it from a servlet based system to a servlet/JSP system. I bought this book based on the reviews and it was EXCELLENT. Marty Hall starts you off with an in depth view of servlets and then gradually walks you into JSP. Although he is thorough with his information, he is never boring. I read the book from cover to cover and it provided me with an excellent foundation for learning servlet/JSP programming. It has also motivated to obtain a firmer grasp of the subject by continuing to read up on it. I have begun reading Fields' and Kolb's Web Development With JavaServer Pages (review forthcoming). If you are new to servlets and JSP and want to get up to speed quickly, I would say this is the best book out there.
Rating:
Summary: Very good
Review: I am new to J2EE and found this book useful. Very good examples and can be downloaded from the website mentioned in the book.
Rating:
Summary: A great tutorial to get you started...
Review: If you're an IBM/Lotus developer, you've no doubt heard all the talk about Java and portal development. You may also be wondering what you need to do to keep up. First off, you need to learn Java. The third step is to learn how to develop portlets. The middle step in there is to learn how servlets and JavaServer Pages work. This is where Core Servlets And JavaServer Pages fits in. Portal technology is really an extension of servlets, so once you understand how a servlet works, writing a portlet is just a small step away. The book starts off with servlet coding. All the details are thoroughly covered with clear writing and a large number of example programs. The authors spend time explaining the concepts behind the request/response nature of servlets, so you'll be able to build a solid foundation of understanding. The second half of the book covers how JavaServer pages work. This will allow you to learn how JSPs work. It's also the basic information you need before you move on to the use of the Java Standard Tag Libraries, which are covered in the second volume of this series. By the time you finish this book, you will be well-grounded in the fundamentals needed to move on to portal development. As with all books of this type, the authors have to make assumptions about the server platform you will be using. So as to not lock any potential readers out, they choose platforms that are available for free download: Apache Tomcat, Macromedia JRun, and Caucho Resin. If you are running Websphere Studio Application Developer (WSAD), you'll have to make your own mental adjustments to some of the information, such as directory structure and build routines. The good news is that WSAD does much of this for you, so you should be able to make the transition fairly easily. If you are a Domino developer who hasn't done much with Java, you probably won't get much out of this book. You can write servlets for Domino, although it's not something you commonly see done much. If you're interested in making the transition to using Domino apps in a portal environment, it would be worthwhile to get this book if nothing more than to understand how portlets work (the underlying servlet request/response cycle). Conclusion
There are a number of books out there that cover this material. This book is one of the better ones. I would recommend it for your servlet/JSP/portal eduction.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't buy this book if you bought the first edition
Review: I bought the first edition and was happy. THinking I could update my skill, i bought the second edition but was disappointed because there was virtually nothing new. The second edition has an additional author, but looks like that is the only addition to the second edition. Disappointed
Rating:
Summary: Excellent for Total Beginners
Review: If this is the first time you hear the words servlet and JSP, then this book is for you. Basically, with this book you can run your first servlet and JSP pages quick. However, if you've done some programming before, this book does not provide anything useful beyond that point. In a nutshell, good for total beginners, but no in-depth examples or real world applications.
Rating:
Summary: Maciek Brodala
Review: I strongly recommend this book for anyone who would like to learn or run JSP/Servlets courses either for the beginners or intermidate students. I have been using Marty's book for almost 2 years successfully as a textbook in my courses. It is practical with a lot of useful examples. It explains how to set up your environment with different j2ee application servers to get you started coding your own servlets and jsp pages very quickly. It is well-written so you will not get overwhelmed by technical terms that are used only when necessary. It is a great read !
Rating:
Summary: A step toward relief from confusion
Review: I'm a student taking a senior level course in Advanced Java at the University of Maryland. After battling with two other books (including the course text), I reverted to Marty Hall's volume for a detailed, intricate explanation of the theory, processes, and features of Servlets and JSP's. There is so much detail involved that it was a relief to have a guiding hand on such esoteric topics as setting up and running Apache Tomcat. Also, the didactic methodology of Professor Hall's presentation made it possible to acquire a logical perspective of what is going on in this discipline. I recommend this book for all levels.
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