Check out this new book (and free pdf) about phages.  It may just be the ticket for that quirky, informative approach to phage background you are looking for!

From the 2015phage.org website:  "To celebrate a century of phage exploration, we invite you to get intimate with 30 diverse phages in this premier phage field guide. In these 404 pages you’ll learn who these phages are, where on Earth they’ve been found, who their close relatives are, how their genomes are structured, and how they trick their hosts into submission. Researchers who have devoted their lives to phage also recount their experiences in pursuit of their quarry."