World-famous adventurer Bear Grylls, known for surviving the planet’s harshest environments, says that writing about Jesus Christ was even harder than scaling Mount Everest.

Speaking on My View with Lara Trump, Grylls described his book The Greatest Story Ever Told: An Eyewitness Account as “the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but also the best thing I have ever done.”

“My faith has always been a quiet, empowering presence through so many adventures,” Grylls said. “But writing this book — retelling Jesus’s story — changed me more deeply than any expedition.”

The book retells the biblical story through the eyes of witnesses like Mary Magdalene, blending authenticity with imagination. Critics say it brings new energy to the Gospels, maintaining respect for scripture while making it accessible to modern readers.

According to Church Times, “The text is close enough to the original to feel respectful, and different enough to make listeners sit up and take notice.”

Grylls said he wanted to tell “the real story of Jesus — one of courage, friendship, and love — not the sanitized version we often hear.” Despite his record-breaking climbs and survival feats, he said the book has impacted him most:

“I’d give up every summit, every Emmy — they pale into insignificance compared to this,” he said. “It’s history. It’s His story.”

The survivalist, who famously climbed Everest at just 23, hopes readers experience transformation through his storytelling. “I really want people to experience this story,” Grylls said. “Because the story changes us.”

You can learn more about Bear Grylls’s projects and adventures at beargrylls.com.