You can easily obtain convenient fat pointers with like the the 1990 dialect of C++ described here:

https://www.amazon.ca/Annotated-C-Reference-Manual/dp/020151...

Another good read are The Annotated C++ Reference Manual[1] and The Design and Evolution of C++[1].

They help understand all design compromises that were done to keep compatibility with C, which is was part of what brought C++ into the mainstream, but also the main cause of many of its warts.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/The-Annotated-C-Reference-Manual/dp/02...

[2] http://www.amazon.com/The-Design-Evolution-Bjarne-Stroustrup...