Adventurer and tv personality Bear Grylls has climbed to the highest of a distinct sort of summit — the UK’s literary charts.
On June 29, his recent book, The Greatest Story Ever Told: An Eyewitness Account, premiered at the highest of the Sunday Times hardback non-fiction bestsellers.
Selling over 8,600 copies since its June 19 release, the book also secured the fifth spot across the nationwide sales rankings and has consistently ranked in Amazon’s top 10.
This milestone marks a primary for publisher Hodder Faith: it’s the only time of their recorded history – since 2010 – that a book categorised under Christianity has claimed the highest spot within the Sunday Times rankings.
Previously, the highest-charting Christian title had reached number 4 — Jonathan Sacks’ God’s Name in 2015.
The book’s rapid rise reflects broader trends in religious publishing.
According to BookScan, the faith category was the one non-fiction genre amongst 18 tracked that experienced consistent growth by way of each quantity sold and market price between 2022 and 2024.
Grylls describes The Greatest Story Ever Told as his most meaningful work up to now: “I’d surrender every Everest summit, every Emmy, every book and TV show I even have done to have written this, since it is about all our lives and futures, rolled up on this one incredible story.
“Already the book is empowering hundreds of lives all world wide.
“I even have a sense though that this is simply the start and it is due to so many individuals sharing this story with friends, families and colleagues, that we’re seeing such huge numbers sold.
“That is why I say this book belongs to us all, and that its influence will endure. That is what Christ does to people. He changes us all for the higher.”
The book presents the lifetime of Jesus through the voices of 5 close companions — Mary, Thomas, Peter, John, and Mary Magdalene — while integrating Jesus’ own words directly from the Bible.
Churches are being invited to explore the book in a five-part series this autumn, complete with video content featuring Grylls and Andrew Ollerton from the Bible Society’s. Organisers hope that greater than 1,000 churches and 100,000 participants will participate.
Publishing Director Andy Lyon commented on the book’s success: “To have the story of Jesus at Number 1 is a testament to the life-changing impact of this story – it must be proclaimed afresh in each generation and no person has done it like Bear.
“This book can be a long-term mission for Hodder Faith and that is just the primary milestone of many.”
The Greatest Story Ever Told is about to release within the US on 22 July 2025.
