For the Love of Bears

About this book

Chris Tarrant, best known for presenting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, writes about one of his greatest passions – bears. He regales us with tales of his expeditions to see bears in their stunning, natural habitats, from the Arctic Circle, to Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia and Russia. He relates what it is like to track through these remote wildernesses, the people involved, the patience needed, and most importantly, those rare sightings that make it all worthwhile – many of which were caught on camera and included within this book.

Chris has collated fascinating bear facts that give the reader astonishing information about these noble creatures, along with some handy tips should you ever happen to come across one in the wild. He also tells the sometimes gory history of human interactions with bears, of people who risked and lost their lives due to arrogance, naivety and downright stupidity; but he also shows us the devastating impact on bear populations through hunting, the destruction of habitat and the effects of climate change. For the Love of Bears is illustrated throughout with amazing, high-quality photography of bears in the wild from Chris's expeditions.

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Biography

Born in Reading in 1946, Chris Tarrant was educated at Choir House in King's School, Worcester. In 1967, he graduated with a degree in English from the University of Birmingham, before working as a schoolteacher.

His break in television came in 1972, when he landed a job at the ATV network, before going on to become a presenter for ATV Today, a Midlands-based current affairs programme. He rose to national fame in 1974 as the host of the groundbreaking children's show, Tiswas. From 1984, he enjoyed a successful 20-year spell as a Capital Radio host before presenting ITV's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, a television phenomenon exported to 120 countries around the world. Since 2012, Chris has presented several railway-themed shows for Channel 5, most notably Extreme Railways.

He has also won numerous awards and honours.In 2000, he received a Special Recognition from the National Television Awards; an OBE in 2004 for his charity work on behalf of disadvantaged children; a Sony Gold Award for Lifetime Services to Radio; and in 2006 a Lifetime Achievement from the British Comedy Awards.