I'm a 71 year old seriously thinking of doing the John Muir Trail next summer. My 70th year summer has been doing peaks (Cathedral, North Peak, Echo Peaks, etc.), so after promising the wife I wouldn't do that next year, I want to do the JMT instead (ultralightly).
Any recommendations for the best books for planning?
Keith Sauer

The classic, now in it's 13th edition is "Starr's Guide"
http://www.ucpress.edu/books/sc/pages/SC61727.html

A guidebook w/ sections on what to expect, etc.

I found Winnett and Morey's "Guide to the John Muir Trail" to be very useful in planning my trip. I think Wilderness Press does a good job with all their publications.

i found Winnett's guide to be much more useful than Starr's when we planned for the JMT. we didn't carry either, but used the Tom Harrison maps on the trail. you can carry the special JMT set he sells, as that's the best bargain for weight and money. however, they are essentially strip maps and won't show you much beyond the trail and its adjacent secnery. i prefer to pay the weight penalty for larger maps so that I can identify landmarks that are further away. just my 2 cents.