best book for openings

Could anyone recommend a top book for a virtual beginner, which not only lists and details openings, but also clearly explains the theory behind each move. Is there a bible I'm not aware of? (same for endgame while your at it)

The only book I know of that really explains the theory behind the chess openings is Reuben Fine's "Ideas Behind the Chess Openings." The bible for chess endings used to be Reuben Fine's as well, "Basic Chess Endings." But that book was riddled with errors due to the haste with which it was compiled (Fine was desperate for money at the time), and it has since been superseded by other more recent books. (I like the one by the two German masters, Mueller & ?, "Fundamental Chess Endings"? [somebody help me out here]). For a book that is not so comprehensive but very useful, I like "Practical Chess Endings" by Irving Chernev. Its title is a lie since a lot of the book is devoted to composed endgame studies, but it covers a lot of basics and solving its studies, which are in varying degrees of difficulty and are slanted towards normally arising situations, is an excellent way of quickly improving endgame skill.

Reuben Fine was an American world championship contender of the late thirties and forties. World War II put a big hole in his ambitions, as it did for our other American great of the time, Sammy Reshevsky. After the war Fine had to choose between chess and making a living, and settled down as a very respected psychoanalyst. He wrote on the psychology of chess and continued to contribute to chess literature.  

a book that really helped me was BOBBY FICSHER TEACHES CHESS it goes over everything its definitely my bible, but it is ritten weird start it like a regular book then when your done flip it over and go through it again but upside-down. 

About half a century ago, I think Ideas Behind the Chess Openings was considered to be nearly essential reading, but now, I fear that its information is seriously out-of-date. Also, I do not think it has much in the way of sample games which, in my opinion, are the best way to get a quick idea about whether or not one would want to learn more about an opening.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708112658/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review315.pdf

The Mammoth book is not devoted exclusively to openings, but ...

"... Nearly 170 pages [in The Mammoth Book of Chess] are ... devoted to various chess openings. ..." - Steve Goldberg (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093123/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review756.pdf

That sort of reading would be a pretty daunting task, but I think this book differs from most others in that it uses a lot of sample games.

Best endgame book  — bar none — is Jeremy Silman's Complete Endgame Course From Beginner to Master.  Nothing else for a beginner is even close.

Try Irving Chernev's Learning Chess Move by Move. Get through this and either go on to other Move by Move opening books or go for the best: Grandmaster Repertoire books by Quality Chess.

Any book can be opened.

If one really wants to try to learn a little bit about a lot of openings, it might make sense to look at a book like Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess Openings.
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf
There are not many sample games and the coverage is not comprehensive, but I think Seirawan manages to be more readable than most when writing about lots of openings. While reading such a book, don't forget that the primary purpose is to get help with making tentative choices for what to use.

FCO is pretty comprehensive, but it doesn't have much in the way of sample games. Also:

"... [Fundamental Chess Openings by Paul van der Sterren] 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 (2009)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626173432/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen128.pdf

http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/FCO-Fundamental-Chess-Openings-76p3561.htm

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/FCO_Fundamental_Chess_Openings.pdf

I would strongly recommend examining the sample, before considering the purchase of FCO.

Winning Chess Opening by Robertie.

https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Chess-Openings-Essential-Strategies/dp/1580420516

"... While [Logical Chess Move by Move by Chernev] is a great book, there are some areas where it is showing its age (having first been issued nearly a half century ago). It is notable, for example, that by far the most popular opening represented is the Queen's Gambit Declined; by contrast, today's favorite Sicilian Defense is found in just one game. There is just one Queen's Indian and one Nimzo-Indian included; there are no games featuring the popular King's Indian, Grunfeld, or Benoni Defenses. ... this is a very good book. Perhaps it isn't as timeless as it once appeared to me, but it should prove useful to any aspiring player wanting to better understand how to develop logical plans, moves, and thought processes in chess." - Randy Bauer

I do not think that there is a bible that effectively lists and details openings, clearly explaining the theory behind each move for a virtual beginner. The usual beginner opening advice is to learn about principles. For that, one might consider the dannyhume suggestion of the Emms book:

"... For beginning players, [Discovering Chess Openings] 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

Instead of seeking a bible of openings, one can trust an author to choose and explain a limited set of openings for the reader. See, for example, Moret in his My-First-Chess-Opening-Repertoire books.
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9033.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9050.pdf
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/vincent-moret/

1 e4 is a somewhat similar sort of book.

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7819.pdf
Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014) combines explanation of principles with starting opening suggestions. Of necessity, his opening descriptions are less detailed (than those of Moret) because he tried to offer choices to the reader and give some indication of how a player might choose what to try.
http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/openings-for-amateurs/
https://www.mongoosepress.com/catalog/excerpts/openings_amateurs.pdf
I think that there is wide agreement that one can start to learn about a specific opening by playing over sample games. Some of us think that it can be useful to use books like First Steps: 1 e4 e5 and First Steps: Queen's Gambit
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7790.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7652.pdf
as sources of games with explanations. Be sure to try to use the openings in games in between sessions of learning. Most of the time, one faces a position with no knowledge of a specific move indicated in a book. One has to accept that as part of chess, and think of opening knowledge as a sometimes helpful aid. After a game, it makes sense to try to look up the moves in a book and see if it has some indication of how one might have played better in the opening. Many opening books are part explanation and part reference material. The reference material is included in the text with the idea that one mostly skips it on a first reading, and looks at an individual item when it applies to a game that one has just played. Resist the temptation to try to turn a book into a mass memorization project. There are many important subjects that one should not neglect because of too much time on opening study.
https://www.chess.com/article/view/learning-an-opening-to-memorize-or-understand
https://www.chess.com/article/view/3-ways-to-learn-new-openings
https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-understand-openings
"... Overall, I would advise most players to stick to a fairly limited range of openings, and not to worry about learning too much by heart. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)
"... I feel that the main reasons to buy an opening book are to give a good overview of the opening, and to explain general plans and ideas. ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)
"... If the book contains illustrative games, it is worth playing these over first ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)
"... the average player only needs to know a limited amount about the openings he plays. Providing he understands the main aims of the opening, a few typical plans and a handful of basic variations, that is enough. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)
"... 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
"The way I suggest you study this book is to play through the main games once, relatively quickly, and then start playing the variation in actual games. Playing an opening in real games is of vital importance - without this kind of live practice it is impossible to get a 'feel' for the kind of game it leads to. There is time enough later for involvement with the details, after playing your games it is good to look up the line." - GM Nigel Davies (2005)
"... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... It is especially critical not to continually fall into opening traps – or even lines that result in difficult positions ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf
Various items of possible interest:
"There is no such thing as a 'best opening.' Each player should choose an opening that attracts him. Some players are looking for a gambit as White, others for Black gambits. Many players that are starting out (or have bad memories) want to avoid mainstream systems, others want dynamic openings, and others want calm positional pathways. It’s all about personal taste and personal need.
For example, if you feel you’re poor at tactics you can choose a quiet positional opening (trying to hide from your weakness and just play chess), or seek more dynamic openings that engender lots of tactics and sacrifices (this might lead to more losses but, over time, will improve your tactical skills and make you stronger)." - IM Jeremy Silman (January 28, 2016)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/opening-questions-and-a-dream-mate
https://www.chess.com/article/view/picking-the-correct-opening-repertoire
http://chess-teacher.com/best-chess-openings/
https://www.chess.com/blog/TigerLilov/build-your-opening-repertoire
https://www.chess.com/blog/CraiggoryC/how-to-build-an-opening-repertoire
"... A typical way of choosing an opening repertoire is to copy the openings used by a player one admires. ... However, what is good at world-championship level is not always the best choice at lower levels of play, and it is often a good idea to choose a 'model' who is nearer your own playing strength. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-perfect-opening-for-the-lazy-student
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9035.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627110453/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen169.pdf
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9029.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/has-the-king-s-indian-attack-been-forgotten
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7277.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627104938/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen159.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627022042/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen153.pdf
"... Once you identify an opening you really like and wish to learn in more depth, then should you pick up a book on a particular opening or variation. Start with ones that explain the opening variations and are not just meant for advanced players. ..." - Dan Heisman (2001)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626180930/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman06.pdf
"... To begin with, only study the main lines ... you can easily fill in the unusual lines later. ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)
"... 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)
"... I think people tend to be afraid of the main lines. They think: ... sure, I'm going to take up (say) 5 Bg5 against the Semi-Slav, once I've got time and learned it properly. ... My advice is - don't bother. The more you learn anyway, the more you'll recognize how little you know. ... 5 Bg5 is a good move - get it on the board, get ready to fight, and see what happens.
Sure, there will come a time, whether on move two or move twenty, when your knowledge of theory runs out and you have to decide what to do on your own. ... sometimes you will leave theory first, sometimes your opponent. Nothing will stop this happening. It happens in every well-contested GM game at some point, usually a very significant point. This is a part of the game: an important part, something you have to get better at. ... to improve you have to challenge yourself; ..." - IM John Cox (2006)
"... 'Journey to the Chess Kingdom' ... is primarily intended for children ... Chapter five deals with opening principles, while chapter six provides an overview of the most popular chess openings. Importantly, the emphasis is on giving insights and explaining ideas and principles as opposed to advocating mindless memorization of long lines. ..." - WGM Natalia Pogonina (2014)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708103149/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review594.pdf

http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/theres-an-end-to-it-all

https://www.silmanjamespress.com/shop/chess/silmans-complete-endgame-course/

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Fundamental_Chess_Endings.pdf