David Yates was first carried to the Isle of Wight as a baby when his love affair with the island began. Following service in the Royal Navy from 1976 to 2000, he moved to the island in 2006. Beaches, Bars and Blisters is a lighthearted travelogue of a three-day walk around the 72-mile coastline of the Isle of Wight.

Starting at Steephill Cove, David makes his way via Dinosaur Isle to Ryde and on to East Cowes, Yarmouth, Freshwater and Chale before limping back to Steephill Cove, weary but enlightened.

This book captures the unique charm and eccentricity of the island and recalls the sights and personalities he encountered along the way as he passed a variety of beaches, visited a number of bars and developed several blisters on his feet.

The book is attractively presented, contains several beautiful watercolours by island artist Mandy Wheeler and is a must for both locals and anyone who has ever ventured to or considered visiting the Isle of Wight.

David Yates was born in Berkshire in 1957. He served in the Royal Navy from 1976 to 2000, and saw active service in the Falklands War of 1982 and the First Gulf War of 1991. David’s first book, Bomb Alley, his personal account of the Falklands War aboard HMS Antrim, was published in 2006, and he finally realised his dream of moving to the Isle of Wight in the same year. During the events held to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Falklands War in the summer of 2007, David completed a circumnavigational walk of the island.

Imprint: Ryelands. ISBN 978 1 906551 12 4, colour paperback, 210x148mm, 96 pages. Published March 2009.