My all time favorite has to be the Tai Chi Boxing Chronicle by Kuo Lien-Ying. Every time I pick it up I find all kinds of stuff. Usually what seems to happen is that the reading validates or sheds light on something I've found in practice more than actually teaching me knew things.
What are your recommendations?

The 2 that I constantly read are:-

Yang Chengfu “The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan”

Fu Zhongwen “Mastering yang style Taijiquan”

Both trans. Louis Swaim. If you do Yang style, buy these book, they are indispensable. This is the form that my Sifu taught me, except for a slight difference in sweep lotus with leg.

Lawrence Galante Tai Chi: The Supreme Ultimate

Excellent book. Lots of info rather than just focusing on the form. One chapter relates the tai chi form and the occult, my first exposure to the non-western-exercise aspects of Tai Chi. Pioneering work on stance height using heart rate monitoring. Before the wireless transmitters we have now. This book inspired me to use my polar while doing form. When I was in my first year with my Sifu I could get my HR up to 145 with a low stance (same as jogging HR at the time) This year I was ~108 HR

The Tai Chi Handbook Herman Kauz gets a mention as the first Tai chi book I tried to learn from. I wanted to learn again when I went to uni and couldn’t find a class (probably too shy) Brought this and took 6 months to learn a rather poor grasp sparrows tail using this book. Also first book I had ever read with push hands and self defense applications.

They are the 4 I thought of immediately and I know where in the house they are hiding. There are heaps of other I'll probably think of later. I tend to buy anything with Tai Chi in the title that isn’t just a bunch of pic’s of a form

i also like the taiji boxing chronicle

here are some more that i like and why (in no particular order)

The Essence of Tai Chi Chuan: The Literary Tradition
by LO, Inn, Foe, Amacker

It is a translation of the classics but each statement is given a whole page. I find when i read it this way my brain can take in more- when the classics are presented in paragraph form the significance of each sentence seems to diminishes somewhat. also a book that you can go back and reread- my understanding always changes as i practice more


Tai Chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions
by Douglas Wile

translations of some stuff that is not in the classics- some good stuff in here


T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Meditation (Paperback)
by Da Liu

good little book- a lot of information- haven't read it in a while but if i remember it seemed to have a lot of information also contained in his other books


The Dao of Taijiquan: Way to Rejuvenation
by Jou Tsung Hwa

one of the first taiji books i ever owned (along with the "The Essence of Tai Chi Chuan: The Literary Tradition") both were recommended by my instructor- large portions of this book seem to be translations of Chen Kung's famous book (Stuart Olson also translated portions of Chen Kung's book)- this book has a lot of information- but to me personally the best past is Master Jou ca do attitude that come through in the book- his stories about how he obtained breakthroughs, and that you can achieve progress by yourself are very uplifting to me... i think i could say it best is that his message is about self empowerment and that your progress is based on your hard work and understanding (no magic pills)... i also liked his ideas about learning from the stories of the old masters and putting them into practice



also some tai chi books that are a fun read

There Are No Secrets: Professor Cheng Man Ch'ing and His T'ai Chi Chuan
by Wolfe Lowenthal

some nice stories about Master Cheng

Steal My Art: The Life and Times of T'ai Chi Master, T.T. Liang
by Stuart Alve Olson

a really nice read about Master Liang


Franklin

Anyone familiar with a book called Drawing Silk: Masters' Secrets for Successful Tai Chi Practice by Paul Gallagher?

I like everything added until now. I will add three more Energetic Tai Chi Chuan, and Tai Chi Alchemy, both by Larry Johnson. Then there is Taijquanh through the Western Gate by Rick Barrett.

I am surprised Dr. Yang hasn't been mentioned yet.

I use his work as a manual for training. Its absolutely indispensable. I think the other works mentioned here are more esoteric. I believe Jou Tsung Hwa was a teacher of Dr. Yang?

I plan to get more into the esoteric side as I develop the martial. I am making good progress with it as I also train in JuJitsu and my sensei commended me this week on my sparring skills. I have been training my sparring using Taiji techniques and theory. I successfully managed to throw a blackbelt down with 'brush left knee and push forward'.

Problem was I upset the black belt and he nearly ripped me in half with a throw after that.