When the photographer Enzo Barracco decided to mount a photographic expedition to Antarctica, inspired by the example of Sir Ernest Shackleton, he had much more than simple cold to contend with. As the world's last empty continent, the snowy lands of the South Pole are a challenge for the most seasoned explorer, with their merciless winds, treacherous seas and vast sheets of ice. Even to arrive on the continent itself involves a perilous journey by sea from southern Argentina through the notoriously rough Drake Passage. 'The Noise of Ice: Antarctica' explores what drove Barracco to embark on his journey, and tells the story of the expedition in words and astonishing photographs, all of them captured during the trip and many obtained in hazardous conditions. In his gripping text, Barracco explains how even his journey to Antarctica itself was undertaken with the essential help of an ice pilot, to spot and avoid icebergs that ship's radar can miss. He tells of how the waves on that first journey threw him to the deck and brought home how hostile such an environment is, and of his constant battle to protect his photographic equipment and all-important memory cards from the extreme cold. Most importantly, he explains that in capturing these beautiful landscapes, his intention is to remind us all of the precarious position in which this part of the world finds itself. As the explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes puts it in his foreword to 'The Noise of Ice: Antarctica' "witnessed by only a few, Antarctica should be enjoyed by many and protected by all". SELLING POINTS: . A compelling photographic account of a journey to the end of the world . Fully illustrated with images by Enzo Barracco . An important statement of the beauty of our world and our duty to protect it AUTHOR: Enzo Barracco is an Italian photographer who has worked with international clients including Vivienne Westwood, Harrods, Estee Lauder, Sisley and Barclays. FOREWORD: Sir Ranulph Fiennes is a world-renowned explorer. He was the first to reach both Poles and the first to cross the Antarctic and Arctic oceans, and is the oldest Briton to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. 100 colour