Burnham's Celestial Handbook

Countless amateur astronomers have been inspired through the years, during their all-night hours, by examining under the light of a red flashlight their volumes of Burnham's Celestial Handbook lying open next to a telescope.  Burnham exemplifies the essence of amateur astronomy as the fusion of the then-latest scientific astronomical information with historical and literary appreciation for the wonders of the night sky.  Although the scientific information is no longer up-to-date, Burnham remains a classic that has a treasured place in every amateur astronomer's library.  Get these three volumes in hardback, so they will withstand the wear you will give them.  For a more extensive current effort inspired by Burnham, see Annals of the Deep Sky.