He also wrote adult fiction and non-fiction, most notably on the history of the British monarchy.
He started his writing career at the Jersey Evening Post and worked as a freelance journalist before becoming a full-time writer in 1962.
His first book, published by Longmans in 1964 was The Drums of Kumasi a non fiction account of the Ashanti Wars.
This was followed in 1966 by The Year of the Conqueror (published as The Making of the King 1066 in the USA), a study of the events and people leading up to the Norman invasion of England in 1066.
Further non-fiction work followed on the history of Spain, George III, King John and the Zulu War.