Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know: The Autobiography Paperback – August 1, 2008

In today's paparazzi obsessed world, there are so many people cluttering the media that the few really interesting and truly admirable folks tend to get either lost in the shuffle after a brief blip on the screen, or go completely unnoticed.If you are looking for another variation on the Kardashian/Bieber model, pass on this book, and head straight for your latest copy of People magazine, or switch on E!. However, if you are looking for a read about someone of substance, try this book on for size.Far better known in the UK, Ranulph Fiennes is a (and I really hesitate to use this word) real person, whose lived, and continues to live, a full and interesting life. Explorer, adventurer and, perhaps, a bit mad, depending upon your definition, he is truly interesting. A man who was once briefly considered to take over the James Bond role, because "Cubby" Brocolli thought it might be interesting to have someone who really was an adventurer playing the part--they went with Roger Moore instead.This autobiography—the title of which originated from the less than complimentary summation of Fiennes as a young suitor, bestowed upon him by the man who did eventually become his father-in-law—is a fast read, full of real world adventure.No spoilers here, though. Buy a copy, read it, and feel good that there are still real folks out in this ridiculously shallow world, who meet challenges, raise monies for real human causes, and live lives of which most of us would be content having experienced a mere few months.

What a life this man has had! Not being British, I had not heard of him until I read the book.He's a good writer too, and you'll visualize everything as he writes it, and feel the thrills and the suspense along with him. I've recommended this book to several others.He's connected by birth to the movie actors with the same last name. That's fun, too.

This book is a fascinating read. The feats that are described here are legendary stuff. I've recommended it to friends and family and heartily recommend it to everyone.

Ranulph Fiennes is unbelievable. He has lived a life of extraordinary adventure, and has made a living for himself and his family in doing so. This book details his life and many adventures. Fiennes was the first person to travel to both the North and the South Poles by land. Among the most noteworthy of his accomplishments is his running one marathon per day on each of the seven continents on seven consecutive days---so..... seven 26.2-mile marathons in seven days, and he completed them within three months of a heart attack and double bypass operation! Mr. Fiennes is also a gracious humanitarian, and has raised much money for charity during his many adventures. This is truly an amazing book and a must-read for adventure lovers.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes is the greatest living explorer - maybe the greatest ever. The first I knew of him was when he appeared as a guest on BBC Top Gear and he explained how his badly frostbitten fingers were so painful he went to the store, bought a Dremel cutting tool, put his hand in a vice and cut off the dead flesh.I don't know if that makes him mad, or bad, or dangerous to know or all three, but you are left in no doubt that this grandfatherly special forces veteran with the crisp upper-class accent knows many horrible ways to kill someone in the dark and slip away unseen.I'm not going to go over all his exploits - suffice it to say most of the description in this autobiography involve horrible privations in the harshest conditions the world can devise, until you just want him to stop the futility and have a nice cup of tea made of polar bear piss while he waits for the rescue helicopter. A great read that only hints at the enormity of his exploits.

This book chronicles the amazing story of Ranulph Fiennes' life as he goes from one amazing adventure to another. Through methodical training and organization, he overcomes endless obstacles, sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing to reach his goal, but always he is painstakingly honest and is to be admired for that trait. He always shows remarkable courage and daring and his writing draws the reader into his stories. Readers who enjoy this book may also enjoy reading Alone Across The Arctic. Alone Across the Arctic: One Woman's Epic Journey by Dog Team

Why? His feats of daring are unparalleled....almost testing the readers credulity....the palpably heroic.Ultimately tragic, though, for to paraphrase his own words, there exists a brutal "lack of empathy" in this man.Emotionally absent to others, he is for the most part, egoistic and aloof. Despite his demonstrable claims of love and devotion to Ginny (she comes in a distant second, evidenced by his continuous abandonment of her in the relentless pursuit of layering additional glory on himself)....even the charitable impulses are in keeping with this self-centeredness. Perhaps most telling, having fathered at 62, he shrugs off continuing to risk his life with the off-handed excuse that it's OK because "I didn't have one" and "I felt no emotional connection" to one, so why should it matter that she be orphaned as well! After all, he implies, look how wonderful I am!Is this just an example of British stoicism a la Kipling, the "stiiff upper lip" syndrome, or total disconnect from his own emotions? In particular, never having grieved over the loss of the father, and the trail of mythic ancestors extending back before the Battle of Agincourt leads me to believe that he is ultimately self-contained and totally fulfilled by unconsciously acting out both roles: he is both his lost, heroic father, and the son of himself.I suppose it takes dysfunction to produce these extraordinary types, but "all glory" is, after all, "fleeting." ("Patton," 1971)

I can only imagine a level of commitment, discipline and stubbornness. Me, with 8 coronary stents and five heart attacks under my belt can only live such adventures vicariously!

its a fabulous read about a man who hss broken so many records!

This book is full of real first person accounts of some of the most remarkable feats of perseverance in the harshest places on earth; the north and south poles, Everest, and the Eiger Sanction. They are done by one man with different teams he pulls together. The book is well written - l mean "stories told well". He has an incredibly high tolerance for risk and danger as the chances he has to take during his polar treks hour on hour, day after day / week /month are unbelievable. Accidentally falling into the sea during months cross floating ice, falling into snow covered crevasses, succumbing to appallingly low temperature and high wind, loosing your way in fog which erasing all landmarks are just a few of the things waiting to take his life. He spends days with no break in a small boat in huge waves on oceans of slush ice where one faults move could swamp the boat and mean end of life. It is unbelievable what hardship he has to go through to achieve his objectives. He goes places where no rescues can be be attempted, where the bodies of those who have gone before him and failed are still there today, frozen solidity in place, as conditions are too hostile even to rescue the living that are in trouble, let alone those who are dead. This is a book for anyone who likes to test themselves physically, anyone who likes adventure and first hand accounts and anyone who thinks they have already risen to challenges in their life. This book will blow you away! A fabulous modern day adventurer and record breaker in the harshest places on earth!!

Lovely , awesome ,also adventurous as sir ranulph himselfNow after reading this I respect him even moreKeep fighting sir ........

Ein Buch für echte Männer, oder die, die sich so fühlen wollen. Sir Ranulph Fiennes gilt zu Recht als einer der letzten grossen Abenteurer dieser Erde. Die Autobographie beginnt mit der Kindheit in Südafrika gefolgt vom Internatsaufenthalt in England und seinem Diest beim SAS. Der Hauptteil des Buches dreht sich um sein Leben als 'Explorer', nachdem er dem Militärdienst den Rücken zugekehrt hat. Neben seinen Abenteurn gibt er auch immer wieder Einblicke in sein Privatleben, bspw. wie er seine zukünftige Frau kennen und lieben lernt. Ich kann dieses Buch sehr empfehlen. Es ist meines Wissens nur in englischer Sprache erhältlch, allerdings ist es sehr klar und verständlich geschrieben und stellt in meinen Augen keine zu hohen Anforderungen an die eigenen englisch Kenntnisse.

Oh wow! This book makes be embarrassed every time I whinge about a headache. Ran Fiennes is such a glorious adventurer, explorer, achiever... I have run out of superlatives, that his life, work and joys were amazing and wonderful to read. I met him and Ginny many years ago (1984 I believe) at a Wimbledon tournament as we (my husband David Evans and I) were guests of Whitbread. I was very taken with Ran and his extraordinary sense of power, and his writing echoes this ability and this book is brilliantly written, poignant, exciting, sad and motivating.