I was recently asked for a moderately-priced book on oil painting that covered most of the basics. I thought of this book: Painting Landscapes in Oils by James Horton. He has a lovely painting style that at times makes me think of Cezanne. He speaks about surface preparation, materials and colour theory, so the basics are covered. Especially if you are interested in landscape painting, this book might be of interest to you.

Painting Landscapes in Oils