I would like to create an interpreted language for personal use (who knows where it would go) that would have similar language syntax to PHP and Python using C++. Mainly because I love PHP syntax and Python importing and Tcl/Tk bindings, as well as my need to further my C++ experience.

I have looked around the web for answers and haven't found any good ones. Some say to read X book, but then reviews say the book sucks. Some say to use LISP, but do I really need to learn another cryptic language to accomplish this?

What did people read when creating PHP, Python, Ruby, Java, etc...?

Thanks for any links or explanations you can provide. I am sure people will end up here from Google ... I know I would have.