Next up, the Rother Wanderführer Mostelsteig. I'll just come right out and say it: this is the guide to get if you're serious about walking the Moselsteig - or at least it appears to be from my haven't walked it yet perspective.
Rother has been around since 1920 and it's pretty clear that they know what the heck they're doing. Maps are generally fine for every section (but they really only provide an overview; they're no substitute for a proper map). They include an elevation profile of the day's walking along with the expected walking time and total elevation gained and lost. Route descriptions are written in a narrative style, e.g.:
It's a broad path, but it mostly feels like a natural one. You'll soon notice that the vineyards in these parts are no longer tended, but there are wildflowers and fragrant herbs to be found in the ruins. A little bit further up the hill you'll come to the charming Rupperroth Hut and be sad that it's too soon to take a break - after all, you're only 2.3 km from the start of the trail.
It's the kind of book I'd imagine I'd want to read over breakfast before heading out on the day's adventures; there are some well-chosen pictures of things to see along the way plus good information about whether or not there's somewhere to eat along the trail or if you'd best pack a lunch.
Suggestions for places to stay are brief, with only two choices for most stages (and that's fine) along with URLs and phone numbers.
On the whole, this is a fine choice if what you're looking for is a good quality, standard guide to the overall trail. The book includes a download of Rother GPS tracks, which are sadly just irritating - the XML in the .gpx files specifies version 1.1, which makes them incompatible with Google Earth, so you have to manually edit them to revert to XML version 1.0. Alas.
Even better: there's an app that goes with the book (at extra cost) that's generally excellent - but more on that in another post!
One last note: there's going to be a third edition published in late 2017, but to be honest I can't really see any difference between the first two editions (I bought them both). You're probably fine if all you have is an older edition and the ability to search for accommodations near the trail using the Internet. Enjoy!