# Community > Resource Library >  Book Review...Mud, Sweat and Tears by Bear Grylls

## EeeBees

Possibly the wrong place for this but anyway!!

I have never been able to decide whether I liked the television imaginary of the guy or not, so I started on the book with some hesitation.   But for the odd times he talks about his faith and religion, I found the book very readable.   In fact, I found the chapters on his Mount Everest expedition both thrilling (and downright fearful in parts) and most informative.   His SAS (R) selection chapters were the most compelling for me.    The passage recounting his parachuting accident, which ended his SAS involvement, was so explicit you could almost feel the fear.  The fact that he was not left a paraplegic is utterly remarkable and testament to the spirit of the man.

It is truly an autobiographical work; has moments of great sadness, some of great joy and some of real humour.   I appreciated how he tells of his weaknesses, admits he can cry.   It is not all gungho by any means.

The narrative is interspersed with family photographs, North Africa (SAS), expeditions, filming of his television series and personal life.

In two nights I completed reading this soft cover book...it was difficult to put down!

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## Dougie

Thanks for the review EBs, this book sounds great! I've just finished a book and have been wanting a new read, I am quite partial to only non-fiction. I might give it a go, hopefully lasts longer than two days.

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## 7mmsaum

Thanks for the review eebees, I will have to get a copy

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## R93

Sounds a reasonable read. As long as it doesnt start a new Andy McKnob type series. Grylls was a reserve trooper, totally different standards and selection proceess. Yet they thrive on it.
His last series that was filmed in my backyard, put me off as far as his/the shows, credibility big time. It was full of flaws and bullshit.

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## EeeBees

Yes that was my take on the two episode's I saw as well...it was 'woteva' viewing for me hence my hesitation on the book!

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## Raging Bull

If you have a few hours to kill and want a laugh then get hold of a copy of Paul Carters 'Don't Tell Mum I Work On The Rigs, She Thinks I'm A Piano Player In A Whorehouse'.

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## Dundee

Scribe this resouce library is alive..........Taking good care of your book only just started though,will pass on the (Soldier/Hunter) read too Spanners as soon as I've finished then it will be back here in the library.Thanks Scribe the last thread was lost when it crashed.

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## scottrods

I've already read it, and I found it a light read. 

I accept that the territorial SAS are a different bunch from the full timers but those guys have to still go to work and achieve the same tests and pass rates at the weekend afterwards. They still do jobs in theatres around the world as much as a reg SAS. I'd find it hard to say they are any less elite.

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## sneeze

Thanks for the review, Ill give it a read.His show was ok but its built for a purpose.same as target, fairgo etc  ratings dictate.Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.




> If you have a few hours to kill and want a laugh then get hold of a copy of Paul Carters 'Don't Tell Mum I Work On The Rigs, She Thinks I'm A Piano Player In A Whorehouse'.


 :Thumbsup:  the feret in the pool table had me in tears.

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## Scribe

> Scribe this resouce library is alive..........Taking good care of your book only just started though,will pass on the (Soldier/Hunter) read too Spanners as soon as I've finished then it will be back here in the library.Thanks Scribe the last thread was lost when it crashed.


I doubt if resource library will survive without a full life support system "Dundee"

I cant give away a book read not even by offering to pay the postage to the readers door. "Hey the book isnt that bad".

'I am outa there anyway' you just end up looking like a try hard if you try to persevere with something that has already got rigor mortis

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## Josh

Thanks for the review  :Have A Nice Day: 

I'm mates with one of the main SAS guys in the Iranian Embassy Seige. Man, the stories that he has...  :Thumbsup:

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## Rushy

> His last series that was filmed in my backyard, put me off as far as his/the shows, credibility big time. It was full of flaws and bullshit.


I agree R93 that the shows Grylls filmed in New Zealand showed up flaws to those of us that have spent time in (and know a little about) our bush.  The reality though is that the man is in the business of making shows that bring in viewers and create high ratings.  There is no doubting the man's fitness and ability but in my view where the show falls down is in that I find myself asking whether he would take the same degree of risk were he truly alone.

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## Rushy

> I cant give away a book read not even by offering to pay the postage to the readers door.


Chin up Scribe.  Stick with the effort and don't allow disappointment to deter you.

It is hard to fail but it is worse never to have tried to succeed - Theodore Roosevelt

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## Scribe

> Chin up Scribe.  Stick with the effort and don't allow disappointment to deter you.
> 
> It is hard to fail but it is worse never to have tried to succeed - Theodore Roosevelt


God I dont need the sympathy 'rushy'

I am up to my neck in paper at the moment well into the third book man and some days I say to myself 'why would I bother'.

For this lot at least why would you?????

I thought I would try and make the Resource Library section worth a visit once in awhile.

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## Rushy

> God I dont need the sympathy 'rushy'.


My apologies, I didn't mean to offend.  Wasn't sympathy.  Was meant to be encouragement.

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## Scribe

> My apologies, I didn't mean to offend.  Wasn't sympathy.  Was meant to be encouragement.


You didnt offend me at all. We authors are very temperamental 'rushy' You know that. The encouragement will serve a better use aimed at the forum. 

Books can survive Good Publicity and  Bad Publicity..... but not indifference and it is this type of indifference that is always going to kill the 'Resource Library' portion of this forum off.

A good forum is about a little more than squeezing that extra 40 FPS out of some obscure calibre.

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## Scribe

Sorry EeeeBeees we have hijacked your thread.

Good on you for kicking off with a book review.

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## sneeze

Scribe I think you may be expecting a little to much a little to soon. This is a very young forum with a growing but very small following. I see your thread only went up on the 19th and has 62 views. If that was a trade me aucton I wouldn't expect any success at all.  
I would  genuinely like to read your book.

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## Scribe

Hallo 'sneeze' my first book went up on the board a lot earlier than the 19th.

This is not trade me I am not trying to sell anyone anything.
These are both books that have always appealed to hunters, but they have recieved a very limited response in our library on here.
The second book got no response at all. 

This is book reading weather. If you cant be encouraged to pick up a book now then what is it going to be like come spring 

Remember this is our own resource library section I thought that I could give a bit of a nudge along.

Its not about the books at all, they have been around long enough to stand on there own merit and have recieved plenty of very good reviews. ...Perhaps I will copy some of these reviews onto the thread to create a bit of interest.

This remember is a resource library and its books are meant to be read...I am not going leave the book sitting there unread while everybody thinks to themselves they must be bloody awful books no one wants to read them.

If 'sneeze' as you say you genuinely want to read one of the books whats stopping you. Hell there must be readers among us besides myself who have struggled to find something worth reading this last month.

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## R93

> I've already read it, and I found it a light read. 
> 
> I accept that the territorial SAS are a different bunch from the full timers but those guys have to still go to work and achieve the same tests and pass rates at the weekend afterwards. They still do jobs in theatres around the world as much as a reg SAS. I'd find it hard to say they are any less elite.



I dont doubt his soldiering qualities but, it is to me, annoying with the way his short time in a reserve unit is thrived upon. I know a couple of ex 22 regs that feel the same.
How can the standards and criteria be the same from fulltime to part-time? Impossible when you only serve a month or 2 total out of a year and some modules are 3-6 months long for regular troopers.
So therefore the standards required have to be different. Would you take your rifle to a full or part-time smith?

Aussie SAS got removed from the same status as 22 and 1 SAS for similar paradeing. I deal with an Aussie reserve SAS member everyday, that is a complete knob so maybe I am biased. He wears a peak cap with the wings and dagger on it everywhere. Most regulars I know, never showpony their membership in the unit. Only people close to them know what they do and sometimes they dont.

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## EeeBees

> I doubt if resource library will survive without a full life support system "Dundee"
> 
> I cant give away a book read not even by offering to pay the postage to the readers door. "Hey the book isnt that bad".
> 
> 'I am outa there anyway' you just end up looking like a try hard if you try to persevere with something that has already got rigor mortis


I do not understand your words, Scribe...a resource library is exactly that...when we look at all the sections and threads from us all, we are all contributing to a great forum...and whats more we all appreciate each others knowledge and experiences; especially the new hunters who are busting to know what others know...we are hunters, we feel more at home with fellow hunters than just about anyone else.  

A try hard...what other way is there to be :Have A Nice Day:

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## Dougie

> So therefore the standards required have to be different. Would you take your rifle to a full or part-time smith?
> 
> Aussie SAS got removed from the same status as 22 and 1 SAS for similar paradeing. I deal with an Aussie reserve SAS member everyday, that is a complete knob so maybe I am biased. He wears a peak cap with the wings and dagger on it everywhere. Most regulars I know, never showpony their membership in the unit. Only people close to them know what they do and sometimes they dont.


I like these comments  :Have A Nice Day:  That guy sounds like a tool. One of the things I love about 1NZSAS is that they are so modest. And secretive - I met the CSM of the group five years ago and he told me that for years his flatmates thought he was a rubbish truck driver when he was actually off training!

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## sneeze

Its your choice, you can stay the course and try and give this section a push along, leave your books here for the bennifit of those that have come and those that havn't made it here yet or you can withdraw them.I dont see the latter as being of any bennfit to anyone but I wont loose any sleep over it.If you really want to know whats stopping me from reading one of your books then drop me a PM, Im not putting my personal life in a public forum.

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## veitnamcam

> Hallo 'sneeze' my first book went up on the board a lot earlier than the 19th.
> 
> This is not trade me I am not trying to sell anyone anything.
> These are both books that have always appealed to hunters, but they have recieved a very limited response in our library on here.
> The second book got no response at all. 
> 
> This is book reading weather. If you cant be encouraged to pick up a book now then what is it going to be like come spring 
> 
> Remember this is our own resource library section I thought that I could give a bit of a nudge along.
> ...



I would like to read your books Scribe,I was under the immpresion they were out being read at the mo and we had to wait our turn?

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## Scribe

> I do not understand your words, Scribe...a resource library is exactly that...when we look at all the sections and threads from us all, we are all contributing to a great forum...and whats more we all appreciate each others knowledge and experiences; especially the new hunters who are busting to know what others know...we are hunters, we feel more at home with fellow hunters than just about anyone else.  
> 
> A try hard...what other way is there to be


Lets just look at the words Resource and Library EeeBeees. It is neither at the moment.
Resources...It has none
Library... it is not 
 'Spanners' is right in his take on it. Certain resources will be needed to be put into it to attract people to it then perhaps Resource Library will have the chance to develope a life like most of the other sections have or are. Putting resources wont just be enough by itself, when the resources are there we must use them.

Perhaps the words 'A try hard' comes from a much older time 'EeeBees'

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## Raging Bull

> I would like to read your books Scribe,*I was under the impression they were out being read at the moment and we had to wait our turn?*


+1

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## Scribe

> I would like to read your books Scribe,I was under the immpresion they were out being read at the mo and we had to wait our turn?


Hulloo Vietnamcam  The first book is out there 'dundee' has got it and 'spanners is having it next. The second has been sitting in the resource library since the 19th waiting for a reader... I took it out today.

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## EeeBees

To be frank, I have never understood what makes perfectly fit and sound humans want to jump out of perfectly fine aeroplanes...one thousand and one, one thousand and two :Zomg:

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## R93

> Hulloo Vietnamcam  The first book is out there 'dundee' has got it and 'spanners is having it next. The second has been sitting in the resource library since the 19th waiting for a reader... I took it out today.


I am keen to read both but will have to wait till I get home or a fixed abode here in OZ.

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## EeeBees

> Lets just look at the words Resource and Library EeeBeees. It is neither at the moment.
> Resources...It has none
> Library... it is not 
>  'Spanners' is right in his take on it. Certain resources will be needed to be put into it to attract people to it then perhaps Resource Library will have the chance to develope a life like most of the other sections have or are. Putting resources wont just be enough by itself, when the resources are there we must use them.
> 
> Perhaps the words 'A try hard' comes from a much older time 'EeeBees'


Patience, Grasshopper, put the book back on
Ive got a better idea....why not call this section something else...like Good Reads and Reviews

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## Dundee

Just sent you a pm Scribe ...........Shit i better get reading aye?Its a bloody good read so far :Cool:

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## R93

> To be frank, I have never understood what makes perfectly fit and sound humans want to jump out of perfectly fine aeroplanes...one thousand and one, one thousand and two


It is an effective method of infiltration for the military and pure gold for adrenalin junkies. Never would have done it myself if the job didnt require it. Hate the thought of full equipment low altitude jumps to this day. You are given a reserve for no reason other, than the comfort of having one.

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## Dougie

> You are given a reserve for no reason other, than the comfort of having one.


Mate I think it's actually just to provide more weight on your backpack! Same with half the other shit they give you!  :Wink:

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## Scribe

> I am keen to read both but will have to wait till I get home or a fixed abode here in OZ.


Yep you told me that right at the start. I will see that you get copies R 93 when you get fixed up with a place.

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## veitnamcam

> Hulloo Vietnamcam  The first book is out there 'dundee' has got it and 'spanners is having it next. The second has been sitting in the resource library since the 19th waiting for a reader... I took it out today.


Sorry Scribe I dont actively look at any of the forums. I just log on and click "whats new" I look at most of em but sometimes dont get them all.
Il Pm my address :Have A Nice Day:

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## R93

> Yep you told me that right at the start. I will see that you get copies R 93 when you get fixed up with a place.


Cheers scribe, appreciate it.

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## Dougie

The man himself.

VIP Meet & Greet tickets to Bear Grylls package 1 | Trade Me

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## sako75

Got our tickets last week for the show only. You can get the "meet and greet" tickets for $495ea on ticketmaster

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## Dougie

I wonder if that includes spooning rights....eh *AR Dave*...

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## ARdave

i love bear! he eats the head off anything then will sleep in a decomposing buffalo then will find 2 litres of water in camel faeces... how can u top that? hero right there. he wouldt sleep on my couch thats for sure... hahaha



> I wonder if that includes spooning rights....eh *AR Dave*...

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## savagehunter

Hi guys delayed I know but I have a copy of this mud sweat and tears and found it to be a great read. If somebody would like to borrow it let me know

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

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