Apache Toolbox (http://apachetoolbox.com/) provides a means to easily compile Apache with about 60 different Apache modules. It is fully customizable and menu-driven. Everything is compiled from source. It checks for RPMs that might cause problems and uses wget to download the source automatically if it's missing.
Several Apache web server books that discuss the installation details are listed at http://httpd.apache.org/info/apache_books.html.