FFXI free trials.

https://secure.playonline.com/freetrialeu/ - EU
https://secure.playonline.com/freetrialus/top.html - US

None of you are Japanese so don't worry about the JP client.

Download your region appropriate client. You brits may be able to read the US clients but any expansions bought in the EU region will not work with the US client.

FFXIclopedia - FFXI Wiki. Very good source of information.
FINAL FANTASY XI - Squeenix's New Player Guide.

I'm on the Leviathan server (You can pick your own servers now). So go on there and hit me with a /tell if you want.

@Dave: Leveling is big in FFXI. There's a recently added in feature called Level Sync that's very popular now. It caps you at the designated person's level and places a burden on your currently equipped armor. Makes the Defense similiar to equipment at that level and kills most of the stat benefits on it.

Have fun.