I still keep on my shelf Elsie Robson's (Australia) book on basic harmony, instruments of the orchestra, form in music etc. This was an old book (though still in print) for classical study when I started learning music, and that was fifty years ago. I ignore the harmonic miseries and use it for checking normal vocal ranges, and instrument ranges.

My problem is always writing songs for my voice range (2 octaves G to G, A on a good day, what a pity its not a good singing voice...) and then finding that I cant transpose the whole thing up or sideways to accommodate (eg) a soprano without making the accompaniment sound crappy.

It doesnt matter whose publication you use. Ferret through the op-shop or the Salvation army book piles and find a discarded theory book.

Alternatively find a useful page on the internet--http://www.garritan.com/ and their music courses is good--but you must print out the ranges! When you need to know where an instruments goes or not, you want to be able to flip a piece of paper immediately to hand, not go searching the internet.

www.flyingtadpole.com
www.myspace.com/timfatchen