Steve Reeve first became involved in the weather when as a teenager he sailed dinghies on the River Crouch in Essex and then raced successfully in the Thames Estuary. Four years studying geography in Newcastle-upon-Tyne led to a teaching career combined with sailing cruising yachts, climbing and mountain walking which deepened his interest in all aspects of meteorology. He now admires the weather from the comfort of his sailing catamaran although his interest in the weather has taken him in another direction as he has embarked on a flying course. Steve taught geography in the state education system for twenty years and then became a sailing instructor specialising in the theory of navigation and meteorology. He has written course material for the RYA Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper and Ocean Yachtmaster courses and developed independent courses in meteorology. He authored the 'Complete Day Skipper' published by David & Charles in 1993, which is a detailed text for skippers and crew preparing for the RYA Day Skipper course. Over the past few years, the author has carried out extensive research into various aspects of weather and climate with the intention of producing a series of books that will bring the subject alive. British Isles Weather & Climate is the first book to be published in what will be a series of titles over the next couple of years. Some of these will be quite general in their approach including a text on how climate change has affected the British Isles since the Ice Age while others will concentrate on specific activities such as aviation meteorology and weather for boat owners.