Ask YC: C++ 18 years ago
If you're a fluent Pythonista then I say just dive right in. You could spend a month learning syntax and STL stuff, but a good programmer can pick up a language as they go. See something you don't get? Google-it. You'll be banging out code in no time.
Oh, and a Safari account will go a long way to help you quickly find relevant GOOD material (not just script-kiddie posts).