Born in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, Bear Grylls burst onto the international scene in 2006 with his hit survival show Man vs. Wild, also known as Born Survivor: Bear Grylls, which ran on the Discovery Channel until 2011.
By that time, however, the former Special Air Service trooper had already made a name for himself as a survivalist and adventurer, with a number of impressive accomplishments already under his belt.
In 1998, he became one of the youngest people ever to climb to the top of Mount Everest at the age of 23—a feat rendered especially impressive because he had broken three vertebrae 18 months earlier in a parachuting accident.
Later, in 2000, he led a team to circumnavigate the British Isles on jet skis to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and in 2003, he and four other people crossed the north Atlantic in a rigid inflatable boat.
Grylls followed up the success of Man vs. Wild with a string of other popular survival shows, including Running Wild with Bear Grylls and the forthcoming Wild Reckoning. In fact, Grylls has been the star or host of more than a dozen shows, broadcast on Discovery, Netflix, NBC, and more.
He didn’t let his showbiz success put a damper on his adventures, however. Far from it. Since the launch of Man vs. Wild, Grylls has paramotored across the Himalayas, visited Antarctica, set a world record for the longest continuous indoor freefall, and taken an inflatable boat through the Northwest Passage, to name just a few of his many escapades.
He's also written more than twenty books, including children’s adventure books and adult thriller novels centered on his original character Will Jaeger, a former SAS soldier, just like Grylls himself.
Alongside these, he is the author of a number of autobiographical, inspirational, and motivational nonfiction books chronicling his life, his Christian faith, his survival philosophies, and his many adventures.
Here are a few of his most motivational books, for those who find hope and inspiration in Grylls’ approach to life, faith, and adversity.
The Greatest Story Ever Told
“After 2,000 years of retelling, the story of Jesus has too often lost its shocking and revolutionary power,” writes the Christian Daily. “In his book, Bear Grylls recounts it through the imagined words of five biblical characters, recapturing the powerful drama of human and divine encounters.”
Grylls told Seen & Unseen that he decided to rewrite the story of Jesus through the imagined points of view of five different eyewitnesses. It is a way to show what his own faith meant to him, and also an attempt to recreate the historical world in which the “Greatest Story Ever Told” took place.
Ultimately, he hopes that the book will teach readers what “life and the wild” have taught him: “that the tougher path often ends up being the most fulfilling one.”
Mud, Sweat and Tears
Hailed by Booklist as “required reading for fans […] but also for anyone who revels in first-person stories of high adventure,” Bear Grylls’ autobiography tells his larger-than-life life story.
From his early days on a windswept island off the coast of Britain to his discovery of mountaineering and martial arts at Eton College, through his many adventures both on and off the screen.
The result is a must-read book that “flows with the verve of an engaging novel and forms a satisfying life story brimming with excitement and adventuresome risk-taking” (Kirkus Reviews), one that will keep you turning pages and might just inspire you to do something today that has always scared you.
The Kid Who Climbed Everest
Even before he became a worldwide celebrity, known for his daring adventures, Bear Grylls was challenging himself and setting records, notably as one of the youngest people ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
In his first-ever book, Grylls details not just the grueling climb to the peak, but the difficult circumstances that preceded it, as he underwent months of painstaking physical therapy to recover from a devastating parachuting accident that nearly left him paralyzed.
“Even considering the glut of Everest works, this is an excellent book of personal triumph and should serve as an inspiration to all who read it,” raves Library Journal, calling Grylls’ first book “highly recommended for all public libraries.”
A Survival Guide for Life
“No matter your age or experience […] we’re all capable of living life more boldly, of achieving our most daring dreams, and of having more fun along the way.” That’s the premise, or maybe the promise, of Bear Grylls’ A Survival Guide for Life.
Taking lessons that the adventurer learned at some of the world’s most inhospitable places, from the frozen ocean to the summit of Mount Everest, Grylls shows how you can apply them to your everyday life, whether you’re trying to climb a mountain or just get through another day of work or school.
By describing the lessons he’s learned as a mountaineer, survivalist, and adventurer, the bestselling author shows us the most important skills we need to learn to unlock our greatest potential and be our best selves every day.
Do Your Best: How to be a Scout
In 2009, Bear Grylls became the youngest person ever to hold the post of Chief Scout of the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories—and became the second-longest-serving Chief Scout after Robert Baden-Powell himself, the founder of the Boy Scouts.
With chapters on everything from how to give first aid to how to be a camp cook, this book is for anyone who is a Scout, was a Scout, or wants to be a Scout—or even for the Scout in all of us.
Filled with “hefty helpings of useful bits and motivational advice for enjoying the great outdoors” (Kirkus Reviews), this guide is suitable for audiences of all ages, from the avid outdoorsman to the armchair reader, and everyone in between.
Featured image: Roman Pohorecki / Canva
