In 1930 he was made a senior reporter at the Melbourne Argus but was later reduced in rank due to the impact of the Great Depression on the paper.

As well as providing guidance to the other authors, he wrote three of the volumes in the series (To Benghazi (published 1952), Greece, Crete and Syria (1953) and The Final Campaigns (1963).

Long's books were well received by reviewers and his close involvement with the other authors gave the series a unity of purpose and method.

The Six Years War was written well before it was published, but its publication was delayed while the final volumes in the official history series were completed.

Long died of lung cancer on 10 October 1968 at his home in Deakin, Australian Capital Territory, and was cremated.