The Burning Blue

In a working life of more than fifty years, Mike Carlton was one of Australia’s best-known media figures in radio, television and newspapers. Beginning as a cadet journalist at the ABC, he became a war correspondent in Vietnam and was the ABC’s Bureau Chief in Jakarta. He also reported for the ABC from London, New York and major Asian capitals. In television, he worked on the ABC’s ground-breaking This Day Tonight in the 1970s and for Nine Network News and A Current Affair.

In 1980 Mike turned to talk radio, first in Sydney then in London, where he won a coveted Sony Radio Academy award in 1993 for Britain’s best talk breakfast show. His radio satire on current affairs, Friday News Review, was ‘must listening’ in Australia and the UK.

For many years he wrote a popular weekly column for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Mike has had a life-long passion for naval history and is the author of Cruiser, First Victory, Flagship, The Scrap Iron Flotilla and Dive!. In 2025 he received a Navy Gold Commendation for his outstanding commitment and contribution to the Royal Australian Navy. It’s very rare for someone outside Defence to receive a commendation and Mike’s contribution was described as ‘exemplary’ by the Navy’s chief, Vice Admiral Hammond.