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"Born Survivor"
RRP: £14.99
Our Price: £8.26 (subject to change)
Editorial
Synopsis
Bear Grylls is no stranger to extremes. During a three-year stint in the SAS he was involved in a horrific parachuting accident in Africa and broke his back in three places. Months of rehabilitation followed but, never losing sight of his childhood dream of climbing Everest, Bear went on to become the youngest Briton ever to reach the summit and survive. It was a close-run thing, however, as during the descent he was almost killed in a crevasse, his life saved only by his team-mate and a rope. In 2003 Bear completed another world-record-breaking expedition, leading his team through freezing spray and icebergs across the North Atlantic Ocean in a small inflatable boat. More drama followed as Bear, a karate black belt, set out to show the viewers of Channel 4 what it is really like to complete the gruelling basic training of the Foreign Legion. Now, in "Born Survivor" which accompanies a brand new eight-part series for Channel 4, the world's ultimate survivor shows us how to stay alive in the most unforgiving conditions on Earth.From crossing piranha-infested rivers and finding fresh food to building bush fires and fighting off grizzly bears - all manner of survival techniques from our most dangerous environments are covered. So, whether you find yourself stranded on a desert island in the Pacific, lost in the Lake District, or stuck in the snow on Greenland, once you've read this book, you too will be able to beat the elements and survive the wild.
regard with a healthy dose of skepticism.
Review date: 2008-07-25 Rating: 4 out of 10
I watched the first episode of Born Survivor on Channel 4, excited that a new survival expert had come along to go with Ray Mears.
... About half way through, I turned it off, and have never watched another of his shows again. He's a showman, not an educator, and he uses both a stunt team, and a team of survival experts to choreograph his programmes (what kind of survival programme needs choreography to appeal?). He insists on doing things the fast, dangerous way, and I saw (in only 25 minutes of run time) one occasion where he was flat out wrong- NEVER use your knife as a spear; it takes 10 seconds to simply sharpen a stick with it instead, and you don't risk your most important survival tool breaking on submerged rocks.
Since I am to assume that this is an indication of the contents of the book- it's the book of the programme, after all- I would spend my money more wisely; if, for some strange reason, you can only buy one survival manual, go with a book by a real ex-SAS man (not TA, as in bear's case, although he disguises the fact), Chris Ryan's Ultimate Survival Guide (not exactly ultimate, but very good all the same). Ideally, get a bushcraft book by Ray Mears or Ray Kochanski as well, who, incidentally, don't pretend to be alone in the wilderness whilst staying in a hotel. These will cover some aspects in slightly more detail than they can be in a book of Chris Ryans' scope.
I've just read the blurb at the top of the page- "fighting off grizzly bears"!? Don't be ridiculous.
The only reason I give this 2 stars is because it's likely to have at least some good information from his team of experts- certainly, I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt. Either way, it definitely won't find a home in my outdoors library. There are many far better publications out there.
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Reviews
The Bear Necessities
Review date: 2008-01-05 Rating: 10 out of 10
I got this as a christmas present and it is an excellent resource. interesting and well written this is a must for anyone with an interest in the outdoors or just for anyone who wants to know what to do if stranded in the harshest enviroments.
Product Details/Specifications
Authors:
Bear Grylls
Recording label: Channel 4 Books, a division of Transworld Publishers
Manufacturer: Channel 4 Books, a division of Transworld Publishers
EAN: 9781905026371
Binding: Paperback
ISBN: 1905026374
Number of pages: 256
Publication date: 2007-10-09
Language: English (Unknown)
Language: English (Original Language)