hiː spˈɛnt tˈaɪm æz ɐ ɡɹˈædʒuːət stˈuːdənt, mˈʌtʃ ˈɪnfluːənst baɪ mˈoʊsᵻz fˈɪnli, bˌʌt lˈɛft bᵻfˌoːɹ kəmplˈiːɾɪŋ hɪz dˈɑːktɚɹˌeɪt fɚɹən ɐsˈɪstənt lˈɛktʃɚʃˌɪp ɪn sˌoʊsɪˈɑːlədʒi æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv lˈɛstɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti wˈʌn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti θɹˈiː.
He spent time as a graduate student, much influenced by Moses Finley, but left before completing his doctorate for an assistant lectureship in sociology at the University of Leicester (1961–1963).