Books: Coffee History

The Devil's Cup : Coffee, the Driving by Stewart Lee Allen.  This is one of the most entertaining and interesting books I have found describing the history of coffee.  It is well written and describes the ancient history of coffee in excellent detail.  Allen traveled the world, following the same path that coffee traveled as it spread from Ethiopia.  I recommend this book to anyone who wants to cultivate their understanding of coffee's influence on history.

Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee by Mark Pendergrast.  An excellent and comprehensive book about the history of coffee.  This book takes a more modern approach than the Devil's Cup, and reviews the more recent history of coffee. 

The Coffee Book: Anatomy of an Industry This book is the best beginners book about coffee history that I have found.  The facts within are intriguing and fun to read.  This book is less detailed than Uncommon Grounds, but is easier to read and contains a significant amount of useful information.