Eats, Shoots & Leaves, by Lynne Truss

If you're not one of the three million-plus people who have a copy, you have probably heard of it. A paean to punctuation written in faux grumpy-old-man style. A good start, but don't stop there; leaves many gaps.

Between You and I, by James Cochrane

The real thing, that is written by a genuine grumpy old man, with an introduction by their patron saint, John Humphrys. Nothing much new here. Avoid, unless given as a present.

Writing for journalists, by Wynford Hicks et al

Whenever you see the name Wynford Hicks, buy the book. Eminently useful and practical. You don't have to want to work in newspapers to benefit from the common sense he exudes on all matters writing. There are other similar books with his imprimatur; some are a bit samey, but always helpful.

Newsman's English, by Harold Evans

Probably out of print, or hard to get, but worth trying. Doyen of newspaper editors before he became Mr Tina Brown and went to New York. Hard to gainsay, though that is not a word he would encourage you to use much.
Has to be done, so might as well be them.

A Practical English Grammar, by two blokes you never heard of

When you need to know about the possessive gerund, these are your men. The rest of the world tootles on nicely without such knowledge, but it's good to know, even to ignore it.

Most of these books and more on the subject of writing can be found on www.amazon.co.uk