Here's a four-parter on the bossa nova from the BBC. They're missing a few things in terms of the history, but all in all, it's a solid overview (thanks again to Billy O'Hanluain of Dublin, Ireland).
Marc Myers writes frequently on music and the arts for the Wall Street Journal. He is author of "Why Jazz Happened" (University of California Press). In 2012, JazzWax was named the Jazz Journalists Association's "Blog of the Year."