I would check out the book Running Linux. Check out linux.org, they have links to just about everything.
As far as a distro goes I would get Slackware's newest version. It isn't bloated with gui configure tools, it doesn't have a whole lot of hand holding, but it works very well. Once you get it configured for your taste (which might take some work for somebody completely new to linux) you will love it🙂 At least I do, and so does everyone else I recommended it too🙂