I have compiled here a story of Django Reinhardt using the latest information available. Charles Delauney's Django Reinhardt (orig. Django, mon frere) was for years practically the only bio available, but since the early 1990s several excellent books have been published about Django Reinhardt: some of them have their focus on music and the surrounding culture, others are more traditional biographies. Read this article about the man, who influenced the development of jazz as significantly as Louis Armstrong or Charlie Parker.
A short glance at the present state of jazz Manouche, with a section of prominent players. Of course you have to know Minor Swing, Nuages and Les Yeux Noirs by heart, if you want to be able to take part in a jam session, but this music is so much more than being retrograde and imitating Django.