Dick Durham is a lifelong friend and admirer of Mike Peyton. He began his writing career on Fleet Street and for the last ten years has been Yachting Monthly's Features Editor. He sails with Mike at every opportunity he gets, and is never surprised to find an anecdote he has shared with Mike subsequently crop up in one of Mike's cartoons.

Mike Peyton is the world's most famous nautical cartoonist - the Matt or Giles of the sailing world. This is his authorised biography, complete with many of his iconic cartoons, written by Dick Durham - ex Fleet Street journalist, Yachting Monthly's Features Editor and Mike's lifelong friend.

Dick romps through Mike's life, from his early schoolboy sketches to being seconded by the intelligence corps during World War Two to draw maps of the North African deserts, from there running a PoW newspaper, and, back in the UK, going on to work as a freelance cartoonist on as diverse titles as the Church of England Times and Corsetry & Underwear.

Sympathetic, entertaining and insightful, this is the long-deserved biography of a man who has dominated the nautical humour scene for well over seven decades.

'Sympathetic, entertaining and insightful, this is the long-deserved biography of a man who has dominated the nautical humour scene for well over seven decades.'

'This gem of a book is a hugely entertaining and revealing portrait of a man whose gentle, good humour shines through the pages.'

'Great read.'

'Mike Peyton's cartoons have enriched PBO for over 30 years, and this book tells the story of the maverick behind the drawings.'

'When we laugh at Mike Peyton's cartoons we laugh with empathy because we are laughing at ourselves.'

'Sympathetic, entertaining and insightful, this is the long-deserved biography of a man who has dominated the nautical humour scene for well over seven decades.'

'For those of us who grew up with magazines like Yachting Monthly and Motorboat & Yachting before the arrival of canal magazines, this book is a must!'

'An extremely good book, accompanied by many photographs. The author has done Mike proud, and this is a great biography. A very interesting book and recommended.'

'Peyton is a thoroughly enjoyable read, describing the life of an extraordinary man, rightly described as the world's greatest yachting cartoonist.'

"a wonderful read and an insight into a multi-faceted character"

The authorised biography of the nautical world's best-known and much loved cartoonist Mike Peyton, in his 90th year.