I'm trying to find the library books (probably overdue) for Urag gro-Shub. He points me to a place called Cradlecrush Rock. This is very very near to a giant's camp, so I have to tiptoe around, keeping my pointed ears open for the sound of movement. I found a couple of bodies (well, parts of bodies) crushed under the rock, and looted a few nice items. I also found a knapsack, with a few trinket. But no books. I've also searched most of the ground around the rock. Nada.

Do I have to go into the camp and fight the giant (she said, quivering in her Thalmore boots)? Please tell me where I need to look ...

I've found books (or other quest items) in the chest (usually at the center of the giant camp. I haven't had to kill any giants if my stealth is high enough. Invisibility potions and the ethereal and whirlwind shouts help.

Eh, as long as you stay at a safe distance from the giants, they won't attack you. No need to sneak or use invisibility potions. Not in my case anyway. I've had to get a book from a giant camp too, and they just let me look through their stuff in the chest and take whatever I wanted without getting angry.

If the book's in a Giant camp, then it's in that camp's "main" treasure chest. It'll either look like one of the big stone ones you find at the end of a long dungeon, or it may just be the smaller, wooden, square ones. I'd say save just outside the camp, then make a suicide run or two in just to find the chest. Then when you know where it is, plan around getting to it and getting the giants away from it. Something I did on my current character when she was lower leveled was cast Fury on a woodland critter nearby. They wouldn't last long at all but the giants usually ran right toward it so I could grab the treasure and get a decent head start on getting the hell out of Dodge.

You usually have a limited time frame where you can run in, grab the stuff, and run back out before they turn hostile. That's if you don't have sneak or an invisibility potion.

You all are right -- they are in the chest in the giant camp. I've been dying at his hands all evening, I've been thrown up into the sky so many times I think I'm a bird. But no luck so far. I've tried playing nice with him, but something about me infuriates him. I guess I'd better wait until my sneak skill is higher. Thanks for all the good advice, though.

Huh, really? You can't do a dash and grab? I mean, don't turn to fight him, just run. Leave your follower outside somewhere before you go in.

But if you have to fight, it helps to have some paralyze poison. They're slow. Just don't let them get a hit in.

Success, finally. He was standing way too near the chest, so that even a Whirlwind Shout (plus my latent clumsiness) couldn't give me the speed I needed. But I went away for several days, and -- thank goodness -- he had moved further off when I returned. Thanks to all of you for your help.

Hey GreenEyes! Glad to see you're still around! <3

Thank you, @Serethil. I haven't been playing my mage character much since I became the ArchMage. I haven't yet decided whether to continue with the very minor quests she has accumulated along the way, or to think about a new character.