Average War

Mike Peyton lied about his age to join the Army at the start of the Second World War. He spent much of the war in a prisoner of war camp, but escaped to join and fight with the Russian Red Army. He worked as a freelance cartoonist and has had over 18 books of yachting cartoons published and in 2016 was dubbed ‘the Picasso of sailing’ by the Yachting Journalist Association. He passed away in late January 2017, a few days after his 96th birthday.

“A brilliant memoir.” (Spectator Magazine) "Casually illuminating ... so full of bizare incident that it is hard to know where to start. Some of it is chillingly, and killingly, funny. Death was an accepted lottery and Peyton shows how cheerfully men despatched the enemy when they got the chance." (Daily Telegraph) "There is nothing average about this fascinating memoir. Although much of the content is necessarily grim, Peyton relates his experiences with a light, often funny, touch. This serves to play down what must have been horrific incidents in many cases." (The Northern Echo) “This book is a memoir of a far from average experience of World War II…. the author writes with an authentic recall of events and of friends lost and made... a worm's eye view of army life in wartime and a very good read.” (Little Ship Club).