Are there any scholarly books about tarot?

Maskelyne

Though he certainly doesn't qualify as an outsider to Tarot, Brian Williams' The Minchiate Tarot and A Renaissance Tarot contain a wealth of information about the roots of tarot in the art, mythology, and philosophy of the renaissance, middle ages, and earlier. These were written as companion books to tarot decks, but the bulk of the text deals with the historical background of the iconography of tarot.
 

Teheuti

Though he certainly doesn't qualify as an outsider to Tarot, Brian Williams' The Minchiate Tarot and A Renaissance Tarot contain a wealth of information about the roots of tarot in the art, mythology, and philosophy of the renaissance, middle ages, and earlier. These were written as companion books to tarot decks, but the bulk of the text deals with the historical background of the iconography of tarot.
I want to second your appreciation of these books as historical texts. Thanks for mentioning them. BTW, Brian spoke fluent Italian, attended college in Italy and spent a lot of time there up until his death. He intimately knew and appreciated Italian history, art and ideas.