Max (Carlton) Miller (February 9, 1899 - December 27, 1967) was a Lieutenant-Commander with the United States Naval Reserve. Born in Traverse City, Michigan, the son of William Wesley and Bessie (Adams) Miller, he was educated at the University of Washington (1919-1923). He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War I during the years 1917-1918. He saw active duty with the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II in the years 1942-1945, and again from 1950-1953, at which time he was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander. Between 1923 and 1932, Miller was a reporter for various newspapers, including the Seattle Star, Melbourne (Australia) Herald, and San Diego Sun. He began writing full-time in 1932, publishing almost 30 books, including The Beginning of a Mortal (1933), Harbor of the Sun: The Story of the Port of San Diego (1940), Always the Mediterranean (1952) and Holladay Street (1962). He passed away in La Jolla, California in 1967, aged 68.