Books Reviews

The Accidental Adventurer – Book Review

By Angela Youngman Nov 30, 2011, 15:35 GMT

Participating in a reality TV show led Ben Fogle into a totally new career. He became an adventurer cum TV presenter attempting incredibly dangerous escapades.  How this came about together with tales of his adventures makes riveting reading.

Within only a few years, Ben Fogle has taken part in many of the toughest challenges in the world such as the 180 mile Marathon des Sables in the Sahara and a 100 mile ice-skating marathon across Sweden (in which he was actually beaten by his wife!), rowing cross the Atlantic and walking to the South Pole. 

On a lighter note, there have also been attempts at the world championships in eating stinging nettles, worm charming and Tin bath sailing;  as well as having to  cope with dangerous spiders hitching a lift across the ocean in his luggage. .  Anyone suffering from shyness can gain inspiration; for as Ben shows it can be overcome.

For sheer entertainment value, this is an autobiography worth reading. It is amazing to think that this lively character was once a 'cripplingly shy, geeky, perennially homesick' boy!