A former president of the Oxford Union and special correspondent of The Times newspaper, he was a prolific author, including contributions to the Encyclopædia Britannica, of which for eight years he was chief assistant editor.
His first book, published in 1896, was a translation of selected poems of Walther von der Vogelweide,[7] followed the next year by The War of Greek Independence, 1821 to 1833.
[9] From 1903 to 1911, Phillips was Chief Assistant Editor of the projected 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica,[3] serving under Hugh Chisholm, who was editor-in-chief.
[2][3] In 1914 he was appointed Lecky Professor of Modern History in Trinity College Dublin, the first holder of the new chair, in which he remained until his retirement in 1939.
[15] Outside his own specialism in European history, he contributed articles to the Encyclopædia Britannica on musical and literary subjects, including the Nibelungenlied.