The captivating Irish stories collected in this new edition include both comic tales such as Paddy O'Kelly and the Weasel, and tales of heroes from ancient literature such as How Cormac Mac Art Went to Faery. By turns funny, fantastical and mysterious, the stories are matched in liveliness by the original illustrations of John D. Batten. It would be hard to find a better introduction for children to the special magic of Celtic storytelling. The stories in this book are taken from Joseph Jacob's classic two-volume collection Celtic Fairy Tales (1891-2) and More Celtic Fairy Tales (1894). 232pp. Paperback.

The beautiful Scheherazade's royal husband threatens to kill her, so each night she diverts him by weaving wonderful tales of fantastic adventure, leaving each story unfinished so that he spares her life to hear the ending the next night. This is the background to the Arabian Nights. In this selection made by that master of folklore and fairy-tale Andrew Lang, the reader meets Aladdin with his wonderful lamp, the Enchanted Horse, the Princess Badoura, Sinbad the Sailor, and the great Caliph of Bagdad, Haroun-al-Raschid. 352pp. Paperback.

The legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table is one of the most enduring in world literature. Its scenes of love, war, religion, treachery and family loyalty are timeless as are the reputations of its major characters Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere and Lancelot. Malory's story of noble knights, colourful tournaments and fateful love is set in a courtly society which although outwardly secure is in reality torn by dissent and ultimately treachery. Originally published in 1485, the book is here presented in modern spelling and accompanied by an Introduction and helpful Glossary. Amazing value, 912 page paperback with good-sized print.

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was born in Odense, the son of a shoemaker. His early life was wretched, but he was adopted by a patron and became a short-story writer, novelist and playwright, though he remains best known for his magical fairy tales, which were published between 1835 and 1872. For 150 years his stories have been delighting both adults and children. Packed with light-hearted whimsy combined with mature wisdom they are as entrancing as ever. Here over 40 of Andersen's 168 tales, and among the favourites are The Red Shoes, The Mermaid, The Real Princess, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Tinder-Box and, of course, The Ugly Duckling. Illus. throughout. 400pp. Paperback.

Follow directions on basic wizard's gear to make party robes, hats and other item including a Chinese wizard's robe, fairy wands and wings or a crystal crown. Learn about dragon wrestling, cabbage bowling, tealeaf reading, Egyptian dice and make special food and drink recipes such as Mandrake Cupcakes and Lavender Lemonade. Mix potions for an alchemists' gathering, make a throne for the realm for Merlin's birthday party, build a merry maypole for the welcome springtime fairy frolic or even make it 'snow' inside for a wizard's winter revels. We dare you to turn out the lights and read the tale of the Beheading Ball or hear Merlin's story about what really happened to King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone. Spell-catcher safety goggles, magic flowers, fairy rosewater, orange peel fireworks, magic chameleon eggs, Chinese lanterns, caramel apples, a genie bottle, a fairy wristlet, paper pyramids or an Egyptian fortune catcher, here are magical things to make and marvellous things to do plus feasting and gaming. 144 heavyweight beautifully decorated pages with runes and colour and line art for ages 8-12 years - this old wizard wants to share his magical secrets with eager apprentices. 21 x 22cm and bottle green bonded leather edition with gold embossed decoration.

Andrew Lang recounts the Homeric legend of the wars between the Greeks and the Trojans. Paris, Helen of Troy, Achilles, Hector, Ulysses, the Amazons and the Wooden Horse all figure in this magical introduction to one of the greatest legends ever told. Also included are the adventures of Theseus and his dramatic battle with the Minotaur with the help of Ariadne, and the quest of Jason for the Golden Fleece with the help of the Princess Medea, Ulysses and the Sirens and Perseus and Medusa. B/w map, paperback. 405pp.

"And did those feet in ancient time walk upon England's mountains green?" William Blake's "Jerusalem" is a popular national song, performed at the wedding of the Prince of Wales and the opening of the 2012 Olympics. Blake imagines that England is a new Jerusalem visited by characters from the Christian story, and the author of this fascinating book shows how Blake's vision is one of many attempts to provide the majesty of Britain and its empire with a mythical ancestry from ancient times. Brutus of Troy, a survivor of the Trojan War described in Homer's Iliad, was the mythical great-grandson of Aeneas, though the author shows he may also have had his origins in historical figures of the late Roman empire. In the 4th century the historian Eusebius commented that the British were claiming that the biblical Apostles reached British shores, and in the middle ages the myth was used as a charter for English kings to extend their rule across the whole of Britain. In 12th century Britain the myth of Brutus was extremely popular, propagated by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his History of the Kings of England, itself derived from the older historian Nennius and what we now know to be the pseudo-histories of Dares and Dictys. In his wanderings after the sack of Troy, Brutus and his followers arrived in England, landing at Totnes where the Brutus Stone is said to be the location of his first footfall on British soil. This classical story became linked with the myth of the wandering tribes of Israel, some of whom ended up in England, providing Queen Victoria with a speculative pedigree tracing her ancestry back to the House of David. The author suggests that a modern newspaper might report the arrival of Brutus as "Italian-born Turk leads Albanian asylum-seekers to Britain". Well researched and fascinating. 237pp, timeline, photos.

Symbolism is all around us whether religious, as insignia, symbols of historic heritage, nationalism in Druidic monuments like Stonehenge, in religious traditions, alchemy, magic and rituals. Rosicrucians published a symbolic representation of the Emerald Tablet in 1875, a circle, symbolising oneness and unity with the words' initial letters spelling out the secret of alchemy, VITRIOL. The hands symbolise an oath and above the hands are seven planets. The Sun and Moon pour life substance into a chalice which is supported by Mercury. The three shields are the three principles - sulphur is the lion, salt the seven-pointed star, and mercury the eagle. The chalice symbolises water, the lion fire, the eagle air, the star Earth. To the modern reader, grimoires usually refer to computer and fantasy games but originally they were books of instructions produced between the 13th and 15th centuries written by devout Christians containing much information about guardian angels and their teachings. Grimoires also offer spells, charms and talismans and users were keen on finding treasure, flying, becoming invisible and influencing the course of love affairs. Lengthy rituals were recorded enabling adepts aided by angels to conjure spirits and demons. Ceremonial magic required purification and preparation and robes were worn and various knives, swords, wands, candles, salt and wine were required and water and herbs prepared in containers. Chalk was needed to draw circles, triangles and other shapes. This broad very well illustrated visual history covers symbolism in art, heraldry, guilds, livery and companies, religious symbols, world calendars and time, fertility figureheads and fire, plants, food and the natural world, geoglyphs, pyramids, spirals, mazes, circles and the wheel, light, music and dance, the stars and the zodiac and more. 256 glossy pages, hundreds of colour illus., large square softback.
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Yorkshire is a county with more strangeness than you can shake a Dale walking stick at. Home of Robin Hood (born in Barnsdale), Guy Fawkes, Dick Turpin and Dracula (Bram Stoker wrote part of the vampire tale in a Whitby hotel) and, some say, the birthplace of modern civilisation began in Leeds, but you'll have to read the book to find out why. Ideal for a blowy winter night, the history begins in Jurassic Yorkshire 200,000,000BC, Britain's oldest house (8770BC), the Stonehenge of the north, St Hilda of Whitby and Caedmon the Cowherd (614); the uneducated Yorkshire lad who gave us the British Empire (1693) who was John Harrison from Wakefield, Gentleman Jack, the Luddites and what they stood for, and the Brontë connection, four exceptionally well-married daughters, a cat, a cliff and a life-saving intervention (1934), the Yorkshire accent combats Nazi propaganda, building Britain's highest motorway (1963), the Yorkshire Ripper finally caught (1981), and John Noakes gets down about Shep among the dozens of entries in this fun and readable quirky reference book. 170pp, paperback.

This book contains over 40 of the best-loved fairy stories, beautifully illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Favourites such as Jack the Giant-killer, Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington, The Three Little Pigs and The Babes in the Wood are all here among many others, but stories from different traditions also make their appearance, including The Three Bears and Little Red Riding Hood. 256pp. Paperback.