The New Grove French Baroque Masters: Lully, Charpentier, Lalande, Couperin, Rameau (Composer Biography Series)

This is a very good introduction to the most famous French baroque composers: Lully, Charpentier, Lalande, Couperin and Rameau. The book gives an account of each of the composers' lives, lists all their works and comments on their style and major achievements. It is easy to read and one quickly gets a basic overview.