I am looking for a self-contained presentation of the language that introduces the components of the language in a mathematical spirit.
Appendix A of the Stroustrup book contains a complete grammar of the language. If you consider that to be a useful tool for learning a language, you go right ahead and digest it!
I'm wondering if this would be a good choice: "C++ Programming Language, The: Special Edition , Third Edition" http://www.awprofessional.com/catalog/product.asp?product_id={DD9AAB03-6085 -4008-A260-09D1F7592386} If it's similar to Ellis & Stroustrup's Book, it's not what I'm looking for.
I've not been following the thread, so I thought this book had been discussed. It's the definitive tome, the K&R of C++. It's the book I mention above, with the grammar in Appendix A. I have the paperback version which has a different cover and ISBN number, but the table of contents is identical to my copy. It's a pig to read - very heavy going - but if you're after the definitive work on the language with every single feature[*] guaranteed to be covered, that's the book to have. [*] GNU GCC extensions not included. :o) -- "...our desktop is falling behind stability-wise and feature wise to KDE ...when I went to Mexico in December to the facility where we launched gnome, they had all switched to KDE3." - Miguel de Icaza, March 2003