Nicholas Reardon

Cotswold Seasons. These glorious hills, rightly described as an area of outstanding natural beauty, contain a treasure trove of spectacular views, along with flowers and wildlife just asking to be photographed. In the following pages I take you through the seasons, offering just a taste of what can be seen, in the hope that it will tempt you to explore this wonderful countryside for yourselves. From hidden gems like the stone crocodile head on a fresh water spring in Compton Abdale, and fearsome gargoyles staring down at you from ancient churches, to the grandeur of castles and the splendour of stately homes, I hope to bring the Cotswolds alive for you with the help of my camera. So as not to spoil the images with excess wording I have let the pictures speak for their selves but at the back of the book you will find a page-by-page explanation of the photographs, along with the locations. This book was made possible by the help and kindness shown to me by the various attractions, allowing me to roam freely over their properties in search of interesting views, fascinating artefacts and plentiful wildlife.

The Last Days of Ernest Shackleton, is a unique and fully illustrated account of Shackleton's death and burial in South Georgia from the personal point of view of a seaman on the Quest Expedition by the name of George Ross. George joined the Quest Expedition, at a place called Leith Harbour, in South Georgia, with the position donkey-man (a person in charge of a ships engine room) and he explains in detail the daily running of the ship after Shackleton's death as a first hand account from a below decks crew members point of view. Along with George's first hand account the book covers both the funeral arrangements, the Shetland Pallbearers, a short history of Shackleton's Scouts, and the speeches at the unveiling of the Shacketon memorial. This along with photos, maps, paintings and drawings of the expedition, crew, ship, Grytviken church, funeral and grave. To finish off the book the book contains an interview with the late Ernest Shackleton where he explains in his own words how his life at sea started and how he would like to be remembered.