Peter Nichols is the author of the bestselling novel The Rocks, the nonfiction bestsellers A Voyage for Madmen, Evolution's Captain, and three other books of fiction, memoir, and non-fiction. His novel Voyage to the North Star was nominated for the Dublin IMPAC literary award. His journalism has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He has an MFA degree from Antioch University Los Angeles, and has taught creative writing there and at Georgetown University, Bowdoin College, and New York University in Paris. Before turning to writing full time, he held a 100 ton USCG Ocean Operator’s license and was a professional yacht delivery captain for 10 years. He has also worked in advertising in London, as a screenwriter in Los Angeles, a shepherd in Wales, and sailed alone in a small boat across the Atlantic. He is a member of the Explorers Club of New York.