Books published by publisher Michael Joseph Ltd

Mortals and Monsters. Quests and Adventures . . . *** Pre-order HEROES by Stephen Fry now ***__________There are Heroes - and then there are Greek Heroes.Few mere mortals have ever embarked on such bold and heart-stirring adventures, overcome myriad monstrous perils, or outwitted scheming vengeful gods, quite as stylishly and triumphantly as Greek heroes.In this companion to his bestselling Mythos, Stephen Fry brilliantly retells these dramatic, funny, tragic and timeless tales. Join Jason aboard the Argo as he quests for the Golden Fleece. See Atalanta - who was raised by bears - outrun any man before being tricked with golden apples. Witness wily Oedipus solve the riddle of the Sphinx and discover how Bellerophon captures the winged horse Pegasus to help him slay the monster Chimera.Filled with white-knuckle chases and battles, impossible puzzles and riddles, acts of base cowardice and real bravery, not to mention murders and selfless sacrifices, Heroes is the story of what we mortals are truly capable of - at our worst and our very best.___________'Ebullient and funny' The Times'Entertaining and edifying' Daily Telegraph'A rollicking good read' Independent'Fry exhibits enormous erudition and enthusiasm' Mail on Sunday'The Greek gods of the past become relatable as pop culture, modern literature and music are woven throughout. Joyfully informal yet full of the literary legacy' Guardian

Physical description: 434p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm. Summary: Arthur is set in his true period, the Dark Ages, in this novel. It is not a story of romance, but one of political and religious strife, and war. It describes Arthur's love for Guinevere, Lancelot's arrival, the conflict between Christianity and magic, and the Saxon invasions on Britain. Subjects: Arthur King - Fiction.

Pre-order this charming, modern miscellany of herbs - for gardeners, cooks and armchair botanists alike.Lovingly collated by horticultural expert and Guardian columnist Alys Fowler, this charming miscellany celebrates everything there is to know about herbs and their significance in our gardens, kitchens, medicine cupboards and daily lives. With her unparalleled horticultural experience, Alys explores the abundance of uses of these incredible plants and writes beautifully about how herbs have become entwined in our lives past and present. Designed to inform, entertain and delight, this book offers a fusion of botanical, practical, cultural and historical information, accompanied by beautiful line illustrations, and will be a welcome and well-thumbed addition to every potting shed, kitchen shelf and bedside table.

Want to pick the perfect wine for dinner? Red, white or Rose? Dry or Fruity? Spanish or Portuguese? Become the expert with Wine Folly's Magnum Edition: The Master Guide.It will take your appreciation and understanding of wine to the next level. Wine Folly introduced a whole new audience to the world of wine, making it easy for complete beginners to understand the fundamentals thanks to their straightforward advice, simple explanatory graphics and practical wine-tasting tips. Now they are back with plenty more eye-catching visuals and easy-to-grasp advice that the brand has become known for. Wine Folly Deluxe comes complete with a fresh look, twice as much information on regions, and a profusion of new and alternative wine styles.With its simple and practical answers to all your wine questions and curiosities - red or white? Light or bold? Spanish or Portuguese? - it's the perfect guide for anyone looking to expand their expertise and an ideal gift for the oenophile in your life.

Ingredients - Quick & Easy FoodJamie keeps it super-simpleCooking doesn't have to be complicated - that's why Jamie's 5 Ingredients - Quick & Easy Food is sure to become your new best friend in the kitchen.It's all about making the journey to good food very, very simple. Every recipe uses just five key ingredients, ensuring you can get a meal together fast, whether it's finished and on the table in a flash, or after minimal hands-on prep, you've let the oven do the hard work for you. It

Pre-order the new book packed with more adventures from Felix's life on and off duty at Huddersfield train station. Full Steam Ahead, Felix! is the charming follow up to the Sunday Times bestseller, Felix the Railway Cat. Felix, Senior Pest Controller at Huddersfield station, has been at the heart of a close-knit community since the day she arrived as a kitten. But now, having risen to fame, every-day life at the station has become rather hectic; while reporters and fans clamour for a glimpse of her, Felix and her human co-workers find themselves, and the station, in quite a whirlwind. With the job seemingly too big for one fluffy feline to handle, it seems only sensible to recruit a young apprentice to the team: enter, Bolt. Full of funny and heart-warming stories, with personal tales from Felix's biggest fans, this is the remarkable tale of Felix and Bolt, the ultimate pest-controlling duo.

'Classic Marian Keyes: a blizzard of wit and wisecracks. Mercilessly funny' The Times Amy's husband Hugh has run away to 'find himself'. But will he ever come back? 'Myself and Hugh . . . We're taking a break.' 'A city-with-fancy-food sort of break?' If only. Amy's husband Hugh says he isn't leaving her. He still loves her, he's just taking a break - from their marriage, their children and, most of all, from their life together. Six months to lose himself in South East Asia. And there is nothing Amy can say or do about it. Yes, it's a mid-life crisis, but let's be clear: a break isn't a break up - yet . . . However, for Amy it's enough to send her - along with her extended family of gossips, misfits and troublemakers - teetering over the edge. For a lot can happen in six-months. When Hugh returns, if he returns, will he be the same man she married? Will Amy be the same woman? Because if Hugh is on a break from their marriage, then so is she . . . The Break is a story about the choices we make and how those choices help to make us. It is Marian Keyes at her funniest, wisest and brilliant best. 'Just brilliant' Sunday Times 'Girl-power at its best. I laughed . . . I cried' Daily Mail 'Another belter. Full of brilliantly fun characters, genuine emotion and heaps of charm. We loved it!' Heat 'Keyes writes extremely well about modern women. A breezy, candid and deeply felt account of a wife, mother and career woman rediscovering herself' Metro 'Fabulously entertaining. Classic Keyes. The queen of intelligent women's fiction' Sunday Mirror 'A glorious life-affirming novel with Keyes on top form' Woman & Home 'When it comes to writing page-turners that put a smile on your face and make you think, Keyes is in a class of her own' Daily Express

In The Winter King and Enemy of God, Bernard Cornwell took the beloved legend of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and made it fresh and new for our time. Now, in this riveting final installment of his extraordinary trilogy, Mr. Cornwell relates how King Arthur and his warriors battle their Saxon enemies, allied with Lancelot, for the throne of all Britain.Excalibur is a monumental story of love and war. Betrayed by his true love, Guinevere, Arthur must face his enemies -- who were once his friends -- in final, mortal combat. He must also face his most daunting challenge of all. Merlin has made a terrible pact with Mordred, Arthur's sworn enemy, to summon the gods and the power the gods possess. Arthur's success at stopping them, even his survival, is anything but certain. But winning when all seems lost is what makes Arthur a hero.Stunningly written and peopled with the familiar characters of legend -- and brilliantly narrated by Tim Pigott-Smith -- Excalibur is a fitting and immensely powerful conclusion to one of the greatest-ever retellings of the Arthurian saga.

You may have seen the 32 Ladybird Books For Grown-Ups—helpful guides on hangovers, hipsters, husbands, mindfulness, moms, and midlife crises. But can you imagine a world where you could find hundreds and hundreds more of these helpful little handbooks, on hundreds of other subjects? If you can't, then this book is here to imagine it for you. Here is the full range, never before seen—calm, clear guides to everything from worryingly high cholesterol to worryingly high mortgages—from teenagers you can't understand to prizewinning novels you can't understand—all presented simply and colorfully, in a way that even the most jaded, exhausted, baffled grown-up can enjoy.