In this sensitive and deeply insightful biography of one of Canada's best-known (and most controversial) writers, James King artfully marries the public and private Farley Mowat, often revealing startling new information about the writer and his life. Behind the brash and cantankerous façade—a persona Mowat says was dreamed up by him and his editor during one very boozy lunch—there is also another, little known side of Mowat. In a surprising and illuminating narrative, King unmasks this shy, private and often troubled man, hugely influenced by his late father, whose expectations and infidelities had a profound and lasting effect on every aspect of his life.

He traces the highs and lows of Mowat’s career, his skirmishes with the media—“I never let the facts stand in the way of truth”—and the roots of his activism and love of nature. The “real” Mowat turns out to be a man even more fascinating than the legend he has crafted. King’s combination of meticulous research and insightful commentary is augmented by hours of interviews Mowat granted to the biographer; unprecedented access to his embargoed papers; and an invitation to talk to both friends and enemies.

An unforgettable biography, Farley is a major contribution to Canadian literature.