The Rough Guide to Irish Music is a thick 560 page, pocket-sized book. Written by Geoff Wallis and Sue Wilson, it has a brief introduction about Irish music and its roots. There is a chapter dedicated to music styles, where the authors describe some of the most important categories in Irish music: reels, jigs, hornpipes, and marches. Most of the book is dedicated to biographies of Irish musicians, listed by instrument. At the end of the book there is a great resources section with listing of Irish festivals, schools, organizations, record shops and media. ISBN 1-85828-642-5
World Music Central
http://worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20030226113404700