This is the story of Alex James's transition from a leading light of the Britpop movement in the 1990s, to gentleman farmer, artisan cheese-maker and father of five. 'I was hanging around the pigsty in the way I'd previously hung around at The Groucho Club. I felt wonderfully connected, grounded in the real world, standing in pig muck' Following fifteen years in Blur, Alex James did two wild, unexpected things. He fell in love and he bought a farm. Moving into a rambling, chaotic farmstead in the beautiful Cotswold countryside, he decides the best way to learn about farming is the same way he learned most about music: by jumping in and doing it. As his family settles in, he discovers the unexpected joys that country life abounds in: finding the first egg from your very own chicken, coming across a bramble bush laden with blackberries, roasting home-grown pears on an open fire, before stumbling on a new venture - making cheese. Wonderfully warm, witty and perfectly observed, this is the story of what to do after you've been the bass player in one of the best bands in the world, and a life-affirming tale of just how much fun growing up and settling down can be. 'A joy to read. Prose flows and weaves and curls itself into pleasing rhythms...He can write like a god.' SPECTATOR

For Alex James, music had always been a door to a more exciting life--a way to travel, meet new people, and, hopefully, pick up girls. But as bass player of Blur--one of the most successful British bands of all time--his journey was more exciting and extreme than he could ever have predicted. Success catapulted him from a slug-infested squat in Camberwell to a world of private jets and world-class restaurants. As "the second drunkest member of the world's drunkest band" Alex James's life was always chaotic, but he retained a boundless enthusiasm and curiosity at odds with his hedonistic lifestyle. From nights in the Groucho with Damien Hirst, to dancing to Sister Sledge with Bjork, to being bitten on the nose by the lead singer of Iron Maiden, he offers a fascinating and hilarious insight into the world of celebrity. At its heart, however, this is the picaresque tale of one man's search to find meaning and happiness in an increasingly surreal world. Pleasingly unrepentant but nonetheless a reformed man, Alex James is the perfect chronicler of his generation--witty, frank, and brimming with joie de vivre. "A Bit of a Blur" is as charming, funny, and deliciously disreputable as its author.

The End of Roc Isle was a false prophecy. Or was it? Lord Azure commands the Northern Army in a war against the Trade Lords, who are a class of conspirators. He fights to defeat evil. However, his leadership is failing because of his son's insolence and personal ambition. He relies on Ankah, a battle strategist and master swordsman, to prevail. But will Ankah be enough when they encounter the monolithic horned beasts known as Dregs? A Tempest of battle is about to sweep across the land, and even the strong won't survive