I'm also a newbee and haven't had a chance to practice what I have read, but I started on Ted Hooper and then went on to David Cramp "A practical manual of beekeeping", which I found much easier to read and understand. So that would be my recommendation
I also got Bee Keeping: Inspiration and Practical Advice for Would-be Smallholders(Country Living) by Andrew Davies (all three as a deal from a certain on-line book store) which I read in an hour, so not a serious guide, but a good read also. My six year old daughter also read it and now probably know more about the subject than me (we went to a summer show and the local association had observation hive, she spent half an hour chewing the ear of the beek and pointed out all the different bee and cell types).
Ed.