Of those books that Rob listed I think the one by Peter Kick is the best. The Ranger's Guide covers only the selected trails that the author prefers. It has some of his impressions and opinions, so if you like that sort of stuff, you may enjoy it more. I prefer my trail guides to be thorough and completely lacking in editorial comment. The AMC book comes closest, although it does have some commentary, it is very complete and accurate (with the exception of the commentary, which in many cases is inaccurate and misleading, which is why I wish they would stick to writing about the trails and let us form our own opinions).
I own and have read all three books, but the AMC is the one I carry.
Happy Hiking,
Tom