The Cotswolds: A Treasure Trove of Spectacular Images Showing the Ever-Changing Seasons, by Cotswold Photographer Nicholas Reardon(Driveabout)

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 theirselves 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.

About the Author :
Nicholas Reardon is a Publishing and Tourism Consultant who has also written and designed many books over the years. He says: most of my time is spent turning people's ideas into books and letting them out into the world. Sometimes it is a Born Free moment and others it is a pass me the brain Igor it looks like a thunderstorm moment.

Review :
Review Through The Lens: This month's book feature is a splendid example of how a local photographer can show the effects of the changing seasons on a landscape. The Cotswolds (ISBN: 9781874192794) is a large coffee table book featuring one of England's areas of outstanding natural beauty. Lying between Stratford-upon-Avon to the north and the City of Bath to the south, the famous Cotswold hills have long been a place where photographers have attempted to capture the atmosphere of villages where time has stood still. This book is a fine example of how a local photographer with extensive knowledge of the area can reveal features, normally hidden in plain sight, to the casual visitor. We can fully recommend this book to all our readers and the signed copy we were sent for review will now be added to our selection of competition prizes. The Gloucestershire Echo The Cotswolds By Nicholas Reardon Cheltenham photographer publishes book of beautiful Cotswold scenes By Aled Thomas Beautiful and quirky landscapes in the Cotswolds have inspired a keen photographer to produce his own book. Nicholas Reardon has published a book of photographs entitled The Cotswolds, drawn from his shots taken throughout last year. Mr Reardon, who lives in Cheltenham and runs his own publishing company, said: "I'm always going all over and I like to take pictures and my wife Sally said I was doing it for lots of other people, so why didn't I do it myself? "This is my very first photo book and the pictures are just what I see when travelling about the Cotswolds." The 96-page book shows taken from all over the Cotswolds and slightly further afield, in broadly chronological order. It opens with spring, which was very cold right into April, allowing Nicholas to capture images of daffodils in full bloom with a cap of snow. Despite the area being something of a favourite with photographers, Nicholas has aimed to capture its beauty from lesser-known perspectives. He said: "There are pictures of Gloucester Docks on a summer's evening when they're completely deserted, or Sudeley castle from across it's lake, which no-one ever sees. There's a picture of a row of cottages in Bibury with cows in the foreground just across the lane and if you look carefully there's an electric fence to keep them from crossing the lane to the houses." Nicholas, who previously designed David Wilson's books on the notebooks written by his great-uncle Edward Wilson during his Antarctic journey, said he wanted images rather than words to be the focus of The Cotswolds. "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," he said. He added: "The 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 artifacts and plentiful wildlife."