Books published by publisher N . Y.: W. W. Norton

In this variation on the old theme, the dragon is appeased by the King's a-maiden-a-week plan, until his daughter is the only maiden left. The dragon, it turns out, is a lady-lover, not a lady-eater; he has a large, always growing, company of females in his cave. George, a brave knight, enters expectedly, saves the princess, and banishes the dragon despite his good nature.

The opening salvo of the Aubrey-Maturin epic, in which the surgeon introduces himself to the captain by driving an elbow into his ribs during a chamber-music recital. Fortunately for millions of readers, the two quickly make up. Then they commence one of the great literary voyages of our century, set against an immaculately-detailed backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. This is the place to start--and in all likelihood, you won't be able to stop.