Looking for a good book to read? Here are some fact and fiction books that summon up the atmosphere of snow-covered mountains
The Man Behind the Maps – James Niehues
The Chalet – Catherine Cooper
Ultimate Skiing Adventures – Alf Alderson
Healthy Snacks for Active People – Tricia Blaxill
Could James Niehues be the last of the great mapmakers?
Ski artist James Niehues, in tandem with Open Road Ski Company, has produced a stunning new coffee table book called The Man Behind the Maps: Legendary Ski Artist James Niehues, which is now available in the UK.
The book is a culmination of James’ lifelong work and passion for the mountains and includes 200 individual resort piste maps, each hand-painted by the artist.
James’ impact on the ski and snowboard industry is immeasurable. Throughout the years, he has helped countless skiers and snowboarders navigate down the snow-covered slopes of resorts across North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. His maps have been printed hundreds of millions of times.
In a modern digital age, James may very well be the last of the great mapmakers. His book showcases the exacting process in which he first captures aerial shots and then explores the mountain himself before illustrating every run, chairlift, tree and cliff band by hand.
He said: “I have always enjoyed the challenge of fitting an entire mountain on a single page. Mountains are wonderful puzzles, and I knew if I painted with the right amount of detail and care, they would last. A good design is relevant for a few years, maybe even a decade. But a well-made map is used for generations.”
The large format book of almost 300 pages is now available from Amazon and retails for £80.49.
The Man Behind the Maps: Legendary Ski Artist James Niehues.
You can order a copy by CLICKING HERE
Four friends. One luxury getaway. And one perfect murder
The Chalet, published by HarperCollins, is the debut novel of Catherine Cooper (pictured below) who has used her knowledge of the French Alps to set the scene for a thriller.
The story begins when two young men ski into a blizzard… but only one of them comes back.
Several years later four people connected to the missing man find themselves in the same resort and the book delves into the secrets each of them is hiding. And one of them could be a murderer.
Catherine Cooper is a freelance journalist and keen skier who specialises in travel writing. She also makes regular appearances as a talking head on daytime television.
She lives in France with her husband and two teenage children.
The Chalet
by Catherine Cooper
You can order the printed paperback online through Amazon or buy a copy from Tesco, Asda, Waterstone’s, WH Smith and other selected independent book stores for £7.99. It is also available as an E-book through Amazon and Apple . The normal E-book price is £2.99 but Amazon are currently doing a special offer of 99p
100 epic experiences in the snow
Ultimate Skiing Adventures by ski journalist Alf Alderson takes you on a voyage around the planet’s biggest, best and most unusual ski destinations. The inspirational descriptions of 100 locations combine Alf’s personal experiences with stunning full-page photography.
And it’s not just about skiing – the contents cover avalanche rescue techniques, snow science, road trips, the work of ski patrollers and resorts so remote and obscure that you may never have heard of them.
The large-format paperback and eBook is part of Fernhurst Books’ inspirational Ultimate Adventure series of 100 extraordinary experiences in a number of sports. It is available from all good bookshops, or direct from www.fernhurstbooks.com
Alf Alderson (pictured) is an award-winning adventure sports and travel journalist who divides his time between the French Alps and the Pembrokeshire coast. He has skied in more than 200 destinations on every continent other than Antarctica – which he intends to add to his list.
The Skier & Snowboarder magazine recently featured an article about how Alf chose the destinations to include in his book. You can see it by CLICKING HERE
Ultimate Skiing Adventures
by Alf Alderson
Normal price £20 – but readers of the Skier & Snowboarder can get a 30% discount by ordering online by CLICKING HERE and then entering the code SKIBK during the checkout process, just prior to paying. This discount is valid until 31 March 2021.
Tricia cooks up healthy snacks recipe book to help Disability Snowsport UK
Here’s a great idea for a stocking filler, a recipe book which will also benefit the charity Disability Snowsport UK.
Healthy Snacks for Active People has been put together by Tricia Blaxill (pictured) who after retiring from a wide and varied career path, now runs trixski Ski Accessories.
She said: “A low boredom threshold and typical Taurean nature have led to many exciting projects over the years but creating a recipe book has been a complete surprise – even to me!
“Being a keen skier, an enthusiastic creator of food and having a great interest in healthy eating, I decided to put myself to work and create a simple recipe book that all active or busy people could use whenever the tank needs refuelling, there’s no time for lunch, or you just fancy a pick-me-up!”
Tricia adds: “All the recipes combine different flavours and textures so should suit all tastes. I used healthy ingredients guaranteed to give a boost when you need it in the form of slow-and fast-release nutrition. There are sweet and savoury recipes, most of which I’ve created and some I’ve had donated.
“However, the most important reason for this book is to raise funds for Disability Snowsport UK. Each copy sold means a £3.50 donation to their funds.”
The recipe book has attracted some celebrity attention in the form of Rory Bremner who describes himself as a comedian, impressionist, amateur cook and even worse skier.
The entertainer agreed to provide a foreword for the book. Here are some extracts: “What do people like Tricia do when the country goes into lockdown during the Covid-19 crisis? Why, she turns her hand to combining her love of food with her support for disabled skiers or snowboarders by producing a recipe book. And not just ANY recipe book, but a little (bite-size) book of healthy and energy-giving snacks.
“And the cherry on the top is that each book sold will raise money for Disability Snowsport UK, so you can whizz away and tuck in safe in the knowledge that you’ve put your money where your mouth is.”
Healthy Snacks for Active People
by Tricia Blaxill
Order by CLICKING HERE
Price: £6.95 (£3.50 of which goes to Disability Snowsport UK)
Categories: News