Creative genius, war artist, adventurer, lover. These are just some of the words that can be used to describe Aberdeenshire-born painter and printmaker James McBey (1883-1959). This illegitimate son of a blacksmiths' daughter was the acknowledged heir to Whistler and Rembrandt. But after his death in 1959, his renown as one of Britain's most accomplished artists faded from public consciousness.

At the heart of this biography is his time as a war artist in the Middle East during the Great War, his love affairs, marriage to a beautiful American, and his enduring passion for Morocco. This is the story of one man who triumphed against the odds.