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Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know: The Autobiography
Ranulph Fienneshas traveled to the most dangerous and inaccessible places on earth. In the process he nearly died on several occasions, lost nearly half his fingers to frostbite, and raised millions for charity. He discovered the lost city of Ubar in Oman and attempted to walk solo and unsupported to the South Pole. He was the first man to reach both poles by surface trave
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Hardcover
,
416 pages
Published
September 20th 2007
by Hodder & Stoughton
(first published 1993)
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Community Reviews
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I honestly didn't think I'd get into the book.
I'm so glad I read it. It took me a while (it's a long book) but I absolutely enjoyed it.
It starts off slow, you want to get to the polar expeditions, and it seems to take a long while to get there -- which isn't surprising, as Fiennes didn't exactly start doing them in his teenage years.
I've seen interviews -- who hasn't? -- and he always struck me as slightly arrogant, slightly cold and blase, yet witty.
He's definitely an alpha male, no question. N ...more
I'm so glad I read it. It took me a while (it's a long book) but I absolutely enjoyed it.
It starts off slow, you want to get to the polar expeditions, and it seems to take a long while to get there -- which isn't surprising, as Fiennes didn't exactly start doing them in his teenage years.
I've seen interviews -- who hasn't? -- and he always struck me as slightly arrogant, slightly cold and blase, yet witty.
He's definitely an alpha male, no question. N ...more
You have to admire this guy – if not for his common sense, then at least for his bloody-minded fearlessness. Fiennes is not so much an adventure traveller or explorer as an extreme fitness junkie – the places he passes through are less important than the process of getting to the other side ... first. So the journeys often tumble by at an astonishing pace – entire continents in a couple of pages.
But the arbitrariness of the competitions he sets up is wearying after a while ... first to circumna ...more
But the arbitrariness of the competitions he sets up is wearying after a while ... first to circumna ...more
Sir Ranulph Fiennes is not a storyteller. Reading this, it is as if he just wants to put the facts out there, plain and simple. Still, his personal story is jaw-dropping enough that this plainly-told tale is fascinating -- John LeCarre as a schoolmaster, world travel, adventuring to both poles, running seven marathons on seven continents after heart surgery, auditioning to be James Bond, and on. Cousin to the acting Fiennes (Rafe and Joseph), a baronet in his own right, Sir Ranulph has led a lif
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This is an OK book. If you've read other adventure books then large sections of this largely disconnected account will be boring. However, there are some great sections and interesting adventures.
There are whole chapters which were a waste of time. However, the surprise good chapter was the section on the death of his wife. Quite well handled actually.
Failing on Everest quite interesting, polar slogs with Mike not too bad. I really liked the last chapter on climbing Eiger.
Would rate this book 2. ...more
There are whole chapters which were a waste of time. However, the surprise good chapter was the section on the death of his wife. Quite well handled actually.
Failing on Everest quite interesting, polar slogs with Mike not too bad. I really liked the last chapter on climbing Eiger.
Would rate this book 2. ...more
Jul 29, 2011
Sharon
added it
Nobody can acuse this man of not living a full life. Wonderful tale, that the whole way through, I could just feel his "stiff upper class, upper lip" being somehow expressed.
Felt I would have liked to hear more about other aspects of his life, not just the journeys he has taken, but then again, since this is mostly the way he makes his living, maybe there really is no story or life between trips away.
Read if you like tales of explorers and the journeys they take and the adventures they have.
Felt I would have liked to hear more about other aspects of his life, not just the journeys he has taken, but then again, since this is mostly the way he makes his living, maybe there really is no story or life between trips away.
Read if you like tales of explorers and the journeys they take and the adventures they have.
I bought this book after seeing the author on a daytime TV show, and thinking that he was someone I'd sort of seen a lot about - usually at the end of an expedition where an endurance record had been broken, and usually somewhere that has never been on any sort of bucket list that I would compile, but someone that I knew little or nothing about in terms of what drives someone to do what he does. The book covers his childhood, right up to his sixties and for me, it was in three parts. There were
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Recommended by my friend Pete, I decided to give this book a whirl and what an adventure was had.
I read this book at quite a pivotal point in my life and it had such a profound effect on me. This guy is simply unbelievable.
Before reading it he had just been an Arctic explorer I had once seen on BBC Breakfast whilst woolfing down my breakfast before work.
I could not get enough of this book, a truly packed and inspirational autobiog. From his early days of being kicked out of the SAS for using exp ...more
I read this book at quite a pivotal point in my life and it had such a profound effect on me. This guy is simply unbelievable.
Before reading it he had just been an Arctic explorer I had once seen on BBC Breakfast whilst woolfing down my breakfast before work.
I could not get enough of this book, a truly packed and inspirational autobiog. From his early days of being kicked out of the SAS for using exp ...more
Jan 24, 2009
Paul McMeekin
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction
,
auto-biography
It took me ages to get into this book, and I kept reading a few pages and putting it down again, but then all of a sudden it just took off! Turned out to be very interesting and very motivating. In fact it even made me consider walking to the North Pole, but I soon wised up...
How exciting can it be??? Snow, cold, ice, frostbite more cold and so on... Well, it is!! This is a well written, easy read and very interesting book by and of a very interesting man.
What a life and what a man. I think I fell a little bit in love...
What a life and what a man. I think I fell a little bit in love...
Another great story told poorly. Some other reviewers have thought Fiennes' nonchalant manner of reading makes this story all the more interesting but for me, he sounds bored. How can you be bored about climbing Everest?
Fiennes has that complete lack of common sense which makes a great adventurer.
From time to time, a book is described as 'unputdownable'. I found Sir Ranulph Fiennes' autobiography 'unpickupable', on frequent occasions. Unfortunate really.
Let's get this straight - I can't fault the man for his reputable record of achievement in the field of human endeavour. Indeed, I can neither fault him for his considerable contributions to charity, nor for his rugged determination in the face of adversity, though his shear bloody mindedness when it comes to co-operation in opposition to ...more
Let's get this straight - I can't fault the man for his reputable record of achievement in the field of human endeavour. Indeed, I can neither fault him for his considerable contributions to charity, nor for his rugged determination in the face of adversity, though his shear bloody mindedness when it comes to co-operation in opposition to ...more
I think I was on page 157 when I realised why I wasn't enjoying this book. It came to me in a moment of inspiration… I was: bored. RF's writing is methodical, descriptive and very informative but unfortunately, this doesn't always make for enjoyable reading. His tone comes across as arrogant and at times, his highly competitive spirit served to highlight his lack of sympathy towards his team mates.
While RF doesn't seem the type to talk about his feelings, more description about his internal cha ...more
While RF doesn't seem the type to talk about his feelings, more description about his internal cha ...more
Sir Ranulph Fiennes is an inspiration in so many ways. His life is peppered with adventure, challenges, and charity work. He is a real life James Bond but better...because he is real. His autobiography is a difficult book to put down. His descriptions of the numerous expeditions he has organised and participated in, from the planning stage to fruition, are enthralling. He speaks candidly of the emotional rollercoaster involved with being away from loved ones for long periods of time and also the
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I was recommended "Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know" because it provides an insight into the life of an adventurer. I have always been intrigued by extraordinary feats of physical and mental endurance so decided that Sir Ranulph Fiennes' book would be perfect for me.
The book details Fiennes' adventures but also offers a glimpse into his personal life. I decided to read the book to gain a sharpened understanding of the rigours of a life in pursuit of adventure but I was also captivated by the chapt ...more
The book details Fiennes' adventures but also offers a glimpse into his personal life. I decided to read the book to gain a sharpened understanding of the rigours of a life in pursuit of adventure but I was also captivated by the chapt ...more
This book is well written and interesting. In his early days I thought Fiennes to be selfish in the extreme , however he seems to mature as the book (and his life) goes on and raising over 10,000,00 for charity is an amazing effort. He is certainly a driven man who is lucky to be alive.He must have joints of steel even if not many fingers are left.A fascinating book by a man who has done amazing things. Is he mad.....maybe. Is he bad.....probably not. Is he dangerous to know....probably.
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Really enjoyed this book. This bloke is mad or has hard as nails. What makes a man do 7 marathons in 7 days in different countries straight after open heart surgery and try to climb everest when the pressure is forcing the chest staples apart, on another occasion sawing his own fingers off in the shed at home because of the pain of frostbite. These are just a couple of the experiences of the incredible life of Ranulph Fiennes. Great read.
I have followed Sir Ranulph Fiennes for a few years and am very interested in his expeditions. He has lived an extraordinary life which he writes about with the perfect amount of description. I even conducted a presentation for my job based on Fiennes' life which was incredibly well received by everyone in attendance. Congratulations, another cracking book!
Story of a stubborn complete lunatic which I loved and found very inspiring. He achieved things that shouldn't be possible, and did so through incredible mental strength and very very hard preparation. I didn't expect to read that such a driven kind of man had such a tender absolute devotion to his wife. Wonderful.
Utterly absorbing writer and traveller. Ranulph Feines is a highly driven and motivated explorer that knows his own limitations. However, he's willing to exceed his own expectations and those of Academicals and the media whilst striving to achieve extraordinary expeditions to south and north poles to name but a few. If you read any autobiography I suggest you start right here before moving on to Andre Agassi's Open book. Enjoy.
I've always admired him and wondered what his motivations are for challenging himself in the way that he does. It's an amazing way to live one's life. I was hoping to read a little more about what makes him tick, but as he says himself in the book it's not something he spends much time thinking about. His lifelong romance with Ginny also made him feel more real, more human & multi-faceted. I also enjoyed reading about the expeditions with Mike Stroud and hearing Ran's side (having read Mike
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The man has attemped and completed so many incredible feats that even the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, something most people would consider one of life's great achievements, gets only a meagre sentence in the final appendix. Amazing man.
This book is not all about hairy chested adventure, he also tells deeply and movingly of his love for his first wife... His courage, stamina and his madness, truly inspirational. A long book but stay with it as it will grip and amaze you.
I now know that when I die and go to hell, it will consist of an eternity of pulling 500+ kilogram sleds up chunks of ice the size of five story buildings in make you whimper like a sissy cold, and then down the other side into slushy sea ice, trying to avoid leg crushing crevices. Polar exploration/exploits? No thank you! (The descriptions of frostbitten fingers and walking around with black, rotting stumps of dead flesh on the ends of his fingers made me really queasy.) Still, remarkable chara
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I read this book many years ago. Loved it all... The tales, heroism, stupidly, and eccentricities. Going to read it again.
Absolutely brilliant and breathtaking events that make up this story, however the retelling was abit dry and monotonous.
I am a big fan of biographies. I first read this many years ago and it is still my all time favourite. What a life ! Every day is lived to the full. Even his escapades at Eton, long before his more famous adventures, are eye opening. It's a wonder Eton is still standing.
From his hair raising war adventures to his eyebrow raising charity treks, every page leaves the reader astonished at how much this man has crammed in to his life. I doubt there is an inch of his body left undamaged by accident, ...more
From his hair raising war adventures to his eyebrow raising charity treks, every page leaves the reader astonished at how much this man has crammed in to his life. I doubt there is an inch of his body left undamaged by accident, ...more
A great read, truly inspiring stuff, by on the greatest adventurers to live.
Straight talking, no waffle, very enjoyable account of an extraordinary life.
A fascinating autobiography for anyone interested in explorers/human endurance. I first heard about Ran when studying the biochemistry of human metabolism. He and his colleague Mike Stroud hold the record for the highest daily calorie expenditure to actually be measured. I found the latter part of the book to be the most enjoyable as Ran remains doggedly determination to pursue enormous challenges despite age and poor health starting to catch up with him. Interesting and inspiring, and also a bi
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Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, OBE, better known as Ranulph (Ran) Fiennes, is a British adventurer and holder of several endurance records.
Fiennes has written books about his army service and his expeditions as well as a book defending Robert Falcon Scott from modern revisionists. In May 2009, aged 65, he climbed to the summit of Mount Everest. According to the Guinness Book o ...more
More about Ranulph Fiennes...
Fiennes has written books about his army service and his expeditions as well as a book defending Robert Falcon Scott from modern revisionists. In May 2009, aged 65, he climbed to the summit of Mount Everest. According to the Guinness Book o ...more
