McLaughlin was born in Northern Ireland and raised in Africa. He was educated at Prince Edward School in Salisbury, Rhodesia, and at the University of Rhodesia, also in Salisbury, where he read history.^[3] He then studied for a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at the London School of Economics, United Kingdom.

• Lecturer in Modern history, University of Rhodesia, Salisbury, 1977–1983 (University of Zimbabwe from 1980, Harare from 1982)
• Research fellow, London School of Economics, 1980–1983
• Headmaster, Deputy Head, Housemaster and Teacher at St. George's College (HMC), Weybridge, Surrey 1983–1997
• Headmaster of Douai School (HMC), 1997–1999
• Headmaster of British International School in Cairo, Cairo, 1999–2005
• Headmaster of Casterton School (GSA), Casterton, Cumbria, 2005–2009
• Headmaster of The Doon School (HMC, IBSC), India, 2009–2016

McLaughlin's doctorate was a study of the role of British Imperial defence policy in shaping the Rhodesian armed forces from the 1890s to the 1950s. During the Rhodesian Bush War, he served in operational areas as a field reservist in the British South Africa Police (BSAP). He set up the War Studies course at the University of Rhodesia (now the University of Zimbabwe) and was awarded an Association of Commonwealth Universities Post-doctoral Fellowship to the London School of Economics to study the British munitions industry in the First World War.^[4] He left the world of research and lecturing to carve out a successful career as a headmaster at major Private schools in England. From 1999 to 2005 he was the Principal of the British International School in Cairo before his departure to head Casterton School.

In 2009, McLaughlin moved to India to head an independent boarding school, The Doon School, succeeding Kanti Bajpai. He has lived in Dehradun in India ever since.^[5][6] In 2016, McLaughlin announced his early retirement from The Doon School with three years left on his second contract as Headmaster, and submitted his resignation to Chairman of the Board of Governors Gautam Thapar. He was succeeded by Matthew Raggett, a British educator.

McLaughlin is married to Elizabeth McLaughlin and has two sons.

• Ragtime Soldiers: The Rhodesian experience in The Great War (1980), by Peter McLaughlin. Books of Zimbabwe, ISBN 978-0-86920-234-0.
• The Occupation of Mashonaland (1982), by Peter McLaughlin. Books of Zimbabwe, ISBN 978-0-86920-192-3.
• The Rhodesian War: A Military History(2008), by Peter McLaughlin. Stackpole Books, ISBN 978-0-8117-0725-1.

• Peter McLaughlin The Rhodesian War
• Interview with Peter McLaughlin in Daily News and Analysis newspaper, 5 September 2010
• Views in The Tribune
• News in Business Standard
• McLaughlin in The Times of India newspaper

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