David Vann has loved boats all his life. So when his academic career seems to be stuck in the doldrums, he leaps at the opportunity to start an educational charter business, teaching creative writing workshops aboard a sailboat. But a trip to Turkey seems him dreaming bigger - and before he knows it, he is at the helm of his own ninety-foot boat, running charters along the Turkish coast.

And here his troubles begin. Sinking deep into debt, and encountering everything from a lost rudder to freak storms, Vann is on the verge of losing everything - including his life.

Part high-seas adventure, part journey of self-discovery,A Mile Downis a gripping and unforgettable story of struggle and redemption, by a writer at the top of his game.

David Vannwas born in the Aleutian Islands and spent his childhood in Ketchikan, Alaska. He is the author of the international bestsellerLegend of a Suicide which has been translated into eighteen languages and won several prizes including the Prix Medicis Etranger Caribou Island,Dirt,Goat MountainandAquarium.He is also the author of two bestselling non-fiction books, and has written forAtlantic Monthly,Esquire, theSunday Times,Guardian,Sunday Telegraph,Financial Timesand other magazines and newspapers.