We are witnessing an epidemic of epidemiology. One outcome is a greater demand for books to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body. A widening range of professionals and researchers are discovering the power and fascination of the subject, and their heterogeneity of specialist knowledge and interest poses special challenge. Revisions of classics and many new texts mean difficult choices for teachers and students. The rise of epidemiology will spur new writings so we can anticipate even more. This review is primarily to help students and teachers to find the first textbook for the keen postgraduate or undergraduate. Practitioners may welcome this as a way of tracking down the book which covers epidemiology in the style they prefer. Aspiring text book writers might see gaps for future work. I have concentrated on books published since 1980 and in choosing which books to review I was guided by these questions: Might students chose this book as their first textbook? Might teachers recommend this book for general, introductory reading? Is the book attractive to students and teachers on the basis of reputation? Is it already in use as a general text? If yes, my tendency was to review it. Specialist, advanced, and reference works were excluded, especially if the author(s) did not consider the book as introductory. Some books consisting of exercises and meant for self study have been included if they tried to cover the theory and principles too. I hope to have included the main contenders for the first textbook role in English-based courses in epidemiology in the USA and Europe. (Inevitably, some will have been omitted intentionally or unintentionally.)