Duty or Pleasure? This was the legendary choice which faced Hercules and which pre-eminent philosopher A.C. Grayling uses as the starting point of this masterful book. He shows us how much more people can understand about themselves and their world by reflecting on today's moral challenges. Above all, he explores the idea that certain demands and certain pleasures are necessary, not just because of their intrinsic merits but because of what they do for each other. With exceptional clarity and unrivalled prose, Grayling addresses the everyday ethical choices which confront us all.

Handel was a defining figure of the late Baroque era, perhaps best known for bringing the oratorio form to an English-speaking audience. This insightful study brings to life the glory of his artistry, his elusive personality and the flavour of his time.

The Apollo Academy, a musical club founded in 1731 by Maurice Greene and his friend Michael Christian Festing, was the performance location of various oratorios, odes and masques produced by composers in Greene's circle of friends, colleagues and pupils. Many of the works performed both in and outside the academy meetings are based on subjects such as Jephtha, Deborah and the choice of Hercules which were well known in eighteenth-century England and also attracted the attention of Handel. This long-overdue study explores these works in terms of their intellectual contexts (political, religious, social and cultural), comparing them to Handel's compositions on the same or similar subjects. Additionally, detailed source information and musical analysis of the works is included as well as a discussion of the competition between Handel and his English contemporaries in order to provide a fuller picture of the diverse musical and cultural life in London during the first half of the eighteenth century.