🚀 go-pugleaf

I'm looking for authoritative descriptions of the US telephone system.
I already have the following books : 

Understanding Telephone Electronics, Fike & Friend, 1984, Sams, 284 pp, $14.95
	Good overall book, some design examples, using TI chips
Electronic Telephone Projects, Caristi, 1986, Sams', 244 pp, $10.95
	Lots of do-it-yourself telephone projects, from magazine articles
	from 1970's onwards, so some are outdated. 
Modern Telephony, Harb, 1989, Prentice Hall, 193 pp, $33.40
	More technical than the first two, some design examples, problems
Intro. to Telephones & Telephone Systems, Noll, 1986, Artech, 177 pp, $30
	Less technical, avoids math., includes history of phone system
Electronics Engineers' Handbook, Fink & Christiansen (Ed), 1989, McGraw, 2528p
	Chapter 22, sections 103 - 126 have some info and schematics

I'm in the process of designing a device that will talk to the telephone 
line and also provide a jack where a standard telephone  can be plugged in.
I need to know the range of characteristics of the telephone line and 
telephones. I've found most of what I need, but scattered across these 
five references. 

There's got to be some Bellcore (or undivided Bell) publication which defines
the local loop (voltages, timings, impedances), and the specs for devices
to be plugged into the line. I'd be most grateful for any pointers. 

Post responses, or send mail, and I'll summarize. 

Thanks, / Jon 

jon_sree@world.std.com