Reggae: The Rough Guide by Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton (Rough Guides Limited, London, 395 pages, 1997)

This is one of the most complete, all-around resources that is available on reggae in that it contains in-depth historical information on the genre (not much on Jamaica as a whole, though), one-on-one interviews, hundreds of wonderful black and white photos, concise and reliable reviews of over 1,000 albums (with details on their availability on vinyl and compact disc), a glossary of reggae-related terms, and even separate chapters for British, American, and African reggae.  This essential guide traces the history of the music from Jamaican folk music to mento to Jamaican R&B to ska to rock steady to dancehall to ragga (being British, the book's terminology differs a bit from that used in America), leaving little untouched.  Since it was published in 1997, some of the newer artists can't be found, and don't rely on The Rough Guide for complete discographies -- reviews of the artists' noteworthy albums are divided between chapters on the appropriate sub-genres (as with Reggae on CD) -- but this is a great place to start if you want to learn about the music that is reggae.   Beginners and seasoned fans alike will delight in this comprehensive (not "rough") guide.