After his time as a civil servant Hussey worked at the National Gallery and began to establish himself as an author and journalist.
[4] He wrote several articles for the Musical Times under the title "The Musician's Gramophone".
His Master Musicians series book on Verdi was published in 1940, inspired by the revival of critical interest in the composer that had surfaced largely in Germany during the 1930s.
It was for many years considered the standard biography in English and lasted for five editions.
[5] Subsequently, the book was heavily weighted towards Verdi's later operas from Aida onwards.