I'm a New Zealand writer. My main interests are in the sciences - physics, particularly, though I'm deeply curious about a lot of stuff, especially the human condition. I have qualifications in writing, music and anthropology among other fields, and hold multiple post-graduate degrees in history. I'm also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society at University College, London. However, I don't define myself as a historian and prefer not to be labelled as one.I write a lot. I published my first short story in 1976 and since the early 1980s have worked professionally as a writer, historian, journalist, reviewer, and in media relations. My publications include more than 550 articles, academic papers, reviews and over 50 books on topics ranging from travel guides to biography, engineering, military and social history. I've been published principally by Penguin Random House.