"... [Fundamental Chess Openings] is not particularly suited for players who are just starting out. I would imagine players rated at least 1400-1500 would get the most benefit from this volume. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626173432/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen128.pdf
You can get an idea about what it is like to try to read this sort of book by looking at this sample:
http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/FCO_Fundamental_Chess_Openings.pdf
Seirawan's Winning Chess Openings is not as comprehensive as FCO, but it is probably a lot more readable. If I remember correctly, it was written around 1999. Here is a review:
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf
"... For beginning players, [Discovering Chess Openings by John Emms] will offer an opportunity to start out on the right foot and really get a feel for what is happening on the board. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2006) https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
"... For inexperienced players, I think the model that bases opening discussions on more or less complete games that are fully annotated, though with a main focus on the opening and early middlegame, is the ideal. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2010)
"... Everyman Chess has started a new series aimed at those who want to understand the basics of an opening, i.e., the not-yet-so-strong players. ... I imagine [there] will be a long series based on the premise of bringing the basic ideas of an opening to the reader through plenty of introductory text, game annotations, hints, plans and much more. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2002)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627055734/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen38.pdf
I just got done reading most of what I wanted of this book from the local library which was pretty neat. I was hoping to purchase it some time later in my chess career, but after reading this book I have a different opinion. It may not be what I was looking for, but it may be what you are looking for. But perhaps this is what an opening manual is suppose to be and my expectations should be different. What I found was that like many other opening manuals they do not show you the strategies for the openings and how to aim for in the middle game. Interestingly this was not always the case, this book pick and choose to tell you some strategies but not others. So if you pick up this book and hope it will tell you middle game strategies for your pet lines or lines that become your pet line it is a gamble. If this were my first opening manual or I did not understand the opening manual that well then this would be the book for you. I do like how it walks you through a line and some variations, not usually what you get in an opening manual. It has just enough variations, but not too much. I hope this helps, and I'm up for any questions.