Mud, Sweat and Tears is the story of Bear Grylls - family man, Chief Scout, former SAS soldier and all-round adventurer - as told by the man himself. Bear (birth name Edward!) has sought adventure from an early age and this book takes us not only from his childhood to becoming famous, but also tells us of his family history. In other words, we get the background information on not just what Bear has got up to in his varied and adventurous life so far, but also how and why he has become the man he is today.

As I sat reading this adventurous autobiography, I began to feel quite lazy! Bear has done so many things, pushing himself to his very limits, not just physically, but mentally too - climbing, sailing and parachuting, not forgetting training for the SAS and climbing Everest.

But these adventures have also lead to Bear nearly losing his life on more than one occasion. His faith and, most likely, his luck has saved him more than once! A parachute jump gone-wrong nearly paralysed Bear, while a fall on Everest nearly finished him off all together. However, Bear has never let these things get to him and, if anything, they've taught him a lesson as well as strengthened him.

This autobiography is inspiring and quite thrilling at times, but it's also honest. Bear admits when he's made mistakes or pushed his luck. The man truly has packed a lot into his life and he's got a lot to be proud of.

While I really enjoyed reading Mud, Sweat and Tears, I have to be honest and say that I was slightly disappointed that more wasn't covered in the book. Apart from his growing up, a lot of the book was focused on his SAS training and climbing Everest, and while they are big things (which not many people complete), I feel his other expeditions could have been covered with more than a line or two. But, then, maybe they have been left for another book. I know his TV shows have related books, so I can understand why they weren't covered so much.

Something I have to note: Bear has been criticised in the past for faking or cheating in his TV shows. He does defend himself near the end of the book and admits that he made a mistake while filming one show which lead to the criticism. It was all because he missed his family. Bear Grylls is a normal man (though definitely more adventurous than your average person!) and is a family man at heart. His love for them is very evident throughout the book.

So, would I recommend this autobiography? Definitely! I especially enjoyed reading about his trip up Everest and would love to read more about his other expeditions. I'd certainly read another Bear Grylls book.

I'm an armchair adventurer!

(Please note: This review also features on my blog).