Nevertheless, he remains frequently cited as a recorder of little remembered or noted fact of some historical or cultural significance in the southern African domain.
On his return to SA at the end of World War 1, while contemplating a life in the merchant navy, he settled on a career in journalism with the Cape Argus.
[1] Early signs of Green’s writing talents are evidenced by his winning of an international essay competition at the age of nine with a piece titled, “A Day in the Country”.
Instead, he gained popular renown for his evocative tales on southern African travels, discovery and 18th, 19th and 20th century local history.
[2] By virtue of restricting his writings to popular non-fiction, Green is seldom mentioned in either local or international references as an African writer of note.
Inherently conservative and Eurocentric in style, Green's work nevertheless encompasses all the cultural diversity of the sub-continent, often alluding to changes in the social and political milieu but rarely judgemental in regard to socio-political issues under debate at the time.
[2] While one biography on Green exists (Memories of a Friendship, John Yates-Benyon, Howard Timmins, 1973) he remains, despite his stature as a man of letters and popular literature, an enigma.
[2] According to lifelong friend and confidant, Scott Haigh, he professed on a number of occasions to be about to commence his autobiography, but never formally did so,[4] a fact corroborated by Yates-Benyon.
[2] Green's reminiscences in Where Men Still Dream: The life and memories, travels and encounters of a South African writer (1945) and When the Journey's Over (1972) come as close to autobiographical as his long writing career allowed.