The Shark and the Albatross

Travels with a Camera to the Ends of the Earth

By: John Aitchison

Narrated by: John Aitchison

Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

For 20 years John Aitchison has been travelling the world to film wildlife for the BBC and other broadcasters, taking him to faraway places on every continent.

The Shark and the Albatross is the story of these journeys of discovery, of his encounters with animals and occasional enterprising individuals in remote and sometimes dangerous places.

His destinations include the far north and the far south, expeditions to film for Frozen Planet and other natural history series, in Svalbard, Alaska, the remote Atlantic island of South Georgia, and the Antarctic. They also encompass wild places in India, China and the United States.

In all he finds and describes key moments in the lives of animals, among them polar bears and penguins, seals and whales, sharks and birds, and wolves and lynxes. He reveals what happens behind the scenes and beyond the camera. He explains the practicalities and challenges of the filming process, and the problems of survival in perilous places. He records touching moments and dramatic incidents, some ending in success, others desperately sad.

There are times when a hunted animal triumphs against the odds and others when, in spite of preparation for every outcome, disaster strikes. And, as the author shows in several incidents that combine nail-biting tension with hair-raising hilarity, disaster can strike for filmmakers too.

This is natural history writing at its absolute best, evocative, informative and gripping from first to last.

©2015 John Aitchison (P)2015 Audible, Ltd

Critic reviews

"This is a lovely book, vividly written, giving us a fascinating insight into the world of wild life photography. It is a must for all those who enjoy insights into the natural world." (Alexander McCall Smith)
"In a word, beautiful. John shares the experience of patiently waiting, then the euphoria of capturing the action; capturing the art in nature." (Bill Oddie)
"Here you'll find a version of the world which is more real, more intense and, sadly, more beautiful than the one most of us are forced to occupy." (Adam Nicolson)

Great stories from iconic moments

Very well written and read. I really enjoyed this book, it has a lot of emotion, humour, and shows how passionate he is about the amazing animals he films. It provides an incredible perspective, hearing the stories behind the scenes of the shots I remember most from the BBC series. Truly an inspiring read.

A Remarkable Audiobook

What did you love best about The Shark and the Albatross?

It's a beautiful and moving account of wildlife's stuggle to survive in a seemingly ever more difficult environment

What did you like best about this story?

The author is clearly a deeply caring and eloquent man.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The entire book was difficult to put down.

Any additional comments?

John Aitchison has a great voice for narration. Listening to the audiobook is the best relaxation therapy you could hope for. Let the amazing locations of described in the book wash over you as you follow the animal inhabitants through their incredible trials.