A great book on grilling gives you loads of recipes with a lot instruction to help you be the best griller you can. These books are the best you can buy and give you recipes, examples and enough instruction to get the beginner going and to make the master better. These books are for general grilling skills both gas and charcoal.
1. The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes, & Down-Home Barbecue
Harpercollins
Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby are masters of grilling, barbecue and meat. This book is their first pairing and is the book that taught the world that backyard grilling was more than burgers and steaks. This is probably the one book you have to have whether you are a serious master of the grill or just starting out. This book almost single-handedly changed the landscape of the cookout.
2. Weber's Real Grilling
Leisure Arts
Chef Jamie Purviance and Tim Turner team up again for this grilling book from Weber. Don't worry, you don't have to have a Weber to use this book though. With over 200 recipes and loads of instruction you'll be grilling everything from burgers to shrimp. The book has good information on grilling techniques and recipes for marinades and rubs so you'll be able set out on your own. The recipes are fancy enough to impress most anyone without being to complicated of artistic.
3. Grilling: Where there's smoke there's flavor
DK Publishing
Eric Treuille is a classically trained French chef taking to grilling, but don't worry, his no nonsense style gets to the heart of the matter and shows you how to dress up a simple cookout and turn it into a full meal. This book has become a classic of grilling in part because in converts the world's greatest cuisines to the modern grill. This book is great if you are interested in being able to grill for months without getting board.
4. License to Grill
Harper Collins
Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby follow up the classic Thrill of the Grill with this book that takes you one step beyond. While a complete grilling book on it's own all the recipes are new and unique. If you love Thrill of the Grill you need this book. These guys know grilling and cooking and this book isn't just a great cookbook, it's a good read. You can really tell how much these guys love cooking outback.
5. The Barbecue! Bible
Workman Publishing
Either Steven Raichlen had great timing with this book, or this book changed the way people see outdoor cooking. While titled the Barbecue Bible, this book is almost completely about grilling. Steven Raichlen traveled the world to bring out the grilling traditions of every culture. This book with have you making everything from Japanese Yakitori to the good ol' American Hamburger. A great book, packed with recipes. While Steven Raichlen has followed up this book, it is still his classic.
6. Born to Grill: An American Celebration
Harvard Common Press
Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison helped revolutionize true barbecue with their Sublime Smoke. In this book they put forth a great cookbook on grilling. With loads of recipes, practical advice and just enough instruction, this book really stands out as a great grilling book. The recipes cover virtually everything from appetizers to desserts. A great book with great recipes from people who really know food.
7. How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue Techniques
Workman Pub Co
Steven Raichlen who changed the grilling world forever with his Barbecue! Bible gives us the perfect book for the backyard griller. This "How To" book really delivers great instruction and information on virtually every grilling task. If you're just starting out with the grill this is a perfect book. If you've been grilling for years, you'll learn a lot here. Steven Raichlen takes grilling to a new level with practical instruction, but be warned there are not a lot of recipes.
8. Weber's Charcoal Grilling
Chef Jamie Purviance has again teamed up with Weber to produce another great cook book. This one, however, stands out as a grilling book specifically written for the charcoal grill. If you are interested in returning to charcoal, this book is a definite must have. Filled with great recipes (of course) and loads of information about charcoal, charcoal grills and all the special techniques you have to master to be a great charcoal cook.9. Grilling America
Rick Browne isn't just a really nice guy, he is an expert of true barbecue and grilling. This book (and its companion PBS show) not only gives you great instruction and a wide range of grilling abilities (like plank cooking) but a who list of great recipes. Rick Browne knows food and he knows fire. This is a great book for both.10. The New Grilling Book: Charcoal, Gas, Smokers, Indoor Grills, Rotisseries
Kristi Fuller and Better Homes and Gardens put this book together to not only give you a lot of great recipes up practical instruction on everything from lighting charcoal to using a rotisserie. There isn't a grilling task that this book doesn't cover. You also get a good amount of instructional pictures to really help you see what's going on. The several hundred recipes cover everything from the classics to unusual dishes like grilled polenta. A very good book for the beginner.