Counterpunch by Fred Smeijers appears to be a great read. Unfortunately it is out of print, but I think Hyphen Press was going to make a second edition.
I hope, since I don't have a copy :-(

Depends on if you want to design typefaces by yourself or just design _with_ typefaces.

Have look at:
Designing Type by Karen Cheng
In the typography class here in Basel we call her book «Anatomie der Buchstaben» the «Bible». ;) I just don't know if Designing Type is the English version of it.

Also great books, which I didn't find in English editions, are:

Detailtypografie by Rald de Jong
Lesetypografie by Friedrich Forssman and Hans Peter Willberg

Basic Knowledge about the use of typography:
Typography by Emil Ruder

Great typographic design books are:
Type One by Robert Klanten, Michael Mischler and Silja Bilz
Fresh Type by Andres Janser and Christina Reble

"In the typography class here in Basel we call her book «Anatomie der Buchstaben» the «Bible». ;) I just don’t know if Designing Type is the English version of it."

Yes, it is. Not to be confused with "Anatomy of a Typeface", which is a different book.
I'm in the type design class in Zürich, and some of us have the Cheng book in German, some in English, and it looks like it's pretty much exactly the same.

And if you are looking for the very best book about the history of typography, I would suggest you to learn french and buy "Histoire de l'ecriture typographique" by Yves Perrousseaux. There is simply no english equivalent, and I sincerely pity the non-french speaking for not be able to have access to this wonderful, definitive book. Oh please make an english version.

dr

Designing Type by Karen Cheng

I think this is a terrible book. A waste of money IMO.