[ILUG] Advice on setting up Linux please

[John Flanagan]

I'm hoping that this is the right place to ask the following questions.
Appropriate web links would suffice where appropriate.

I have a basic PC, with a Duron 750, 40gb HDD, 256MB Ram, a CD-ROM and CD-RW
(separate drives), 10/100 Ethernet card.
Currently the machine is running Windows 98SE.
My main use for the PC at the moment is dial-up internet access using ICQ,
Internet Explorer, Outlook Express. I also use it for some spreadsheets,
developing a small personal website and an occasional bit of programming
using VB.
What I want to do is install a version of Linux.
My questions are:
For the above uses, what is the best version of linux to install?
Where in Dublin can I get disks for this install? (Linux is too big to
download on 56K dial-up)
What books should I be looking at for basic user?
What books should I be looking at for more advanced user?
Anything else I should be considering?

Thanks in advance
John