Take Nothing for Granted

'These are the stories of some of the things that have happened to me: the funny things, the scary things, the exciting things; the things that have made me who I am. I don't want to start at the beginning and tell them in chronological order because that's not the way my brain works. And this certainly isn't going to be one of those books of life lessons . . . 'I've always been passionate about finding and telling stories.

And now, for the first time, here are mine.' Famous for his portrayal of the iconic hardman Grant Mitchell and as the maker of documentaries exploring the most dangerous people and places on the planet, BAFTA-winning Ross Kemp is one of the UK's most-loved TV stars. Here, Ross shares tales from his remarkable life. From his childhood in Essex, where he used to pretend the woods and irrigation ditches in the fields behind his house were the Amazon rainforest, to finding himself travelling through the real thing thirty years later, Ross's life has taken many twists and turns.

Through it all there's been no plan, no roadmap, no strategy. Ross has gone from one wild adventure to the next, and never quite known what's round the corner. From getting lost at sea to setting a sacred island on fire, auditioning for his part on EastEnders to filming in active war zones across the world, these are the heart-warming, hilarious and hard-hitting stories of some of the unexpected adventures that have happened along the way.

Warm, energetic and endlessly entertaining, it is a fascinating snapshot of a life lived to the full.