An imporant book for me has been "Derek Malcolm's 100 Personal Best" (I think that's the title. Just search for Derek Malcolm on amazon.co.uk). It's not a normal film history book , but a selection of what he thinks is the 100 best films ever made, from "Birth of a Nation" to "Raise the Red Lantern". It was because of this book I was introduced to directors like Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Victor Erice. 