# Machine Language for Beginners by Richard Mansfield

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/machine-language-for-beginners/

5 people recommended Machine Language for Beginners by Richard Mansfield in Hacker News comments and none criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 12 months, in 2 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

4 of the 5 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “Ask HN: Books to learn 6502 ASM and the Apple II”.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a conversational, general introduction to 6502 assembly for beginners, with a built-in assembler and a full walkthrough of its code.

Summary written by Claude from 5 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Good background and basics for beginners (3 comments in the sample): "it is general but gives a good background and has a nice assembler with a full walk through of the code" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46780383)) "This book specifically targets beginners that are new to 6502 assembly." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46779097)) "Does a good covering the basics in a very conversational manner." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46779797))
- Includes assembler with code walkthrough (1 comment in the sample): "I have fond memories from the late 1980s of trying to get the assembler contained within this book working" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46779899))

## Other assembly language books people recommend

- [The Art of 64-bit Assembly by Randall Hyde](https://hackerapproved.com/p/art-of-64-bit-assembly/): 4 recommend, 2 mixed, 1 criticize
- [Assembly Lines by Roger Wagner](https://hackerapproved.com/p/assembly-lines/): 3 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Machine Language for Beginners by Richard Mansfield", https://hackerapproved.com/p/machine-language-for-beginners/ (5 recommend, 0 mixed, 0 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.