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Incredibly Strange Music
If two books can be said to have started the recent interest in this genre, these would undoubtedly be them. The folks at research have put together two excellent volumes of interviews with artists and fanatics of lounge and exotica. Lavishly illustrated, these books have been quoted so often you'll swear you have already read them. They are practically the gospel of reviewer and liner note writers not familiar through their own experience. Volume One features interviews with Ken Nordine, Yma Sumac, Elisabeth Waldo, Esquivel, Robert Moog, Korla Pandit and more. 
Digging deeper into this phemonemon, Volume Two presented interviews with Martin Denny, Eartha Kitt, Jean-Jacques Perrey, Gershon Kingsley and others. Both volumes are well indexed and contian a section of marvelous quotes. Something for everyone, and enough swinging album covers to keep you searching for decades, if you only pick up two books...pick up these. Incredibly Strange Music Volume One
[Re/Search Publications, ISBN 0-940642-22-0]
Incredibly Strange Music Volume Two
[Re/Search Publications, ISBN 0-940642-21-2]
Elevator Music
Joseph Lanza's history of Muzak and other mood musics continues the education started in the ISM series. With a focus on the "mood altering" aspects of this genre, and an emphasis on Muzak and its imitators, Lanza nonetheless provides an excellent overall history of this genre. Selected discographies and a center section of album covers add to the value of this book. Lanza briefly touches on how this earlier mood music can be related to the new ambient genre, but leaves this topic mostly untouched (and the reader hoping for a sequel). A good historical look at the development of mood music and its related genres. [St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0-312-10540-1]
Ultra Lounge: The Lexicon of Easy Listening
If the above three books are essential reading for the vintage music set, then this book is simply important as a collector's item. The "author" (and Vik usues that term extremely loosely) Dylan Jones ripped off various liner notes and previously published material (all without permission) in order to cash in on the "lounge" revival craze. Eventually, he and Usiverse (the publisher) were sued not only by several of the plagarized authors but by Capitol Records (who hold the trademark on "Ultra Lounge"), and this fluff piece went out of print. You'll occasionally find it in used stores or clearance tables. Get it only if you have the other three books on this page.[Universe Publishing, ISBN 0-7893-0095-8]