hiː wˈɜːkt æz ɐ kˈɑːpɪɹˌaɪɾɚ ænd bˈʊkɹᵻvjˈuːɚ bᵻfˌoːɹ ɛmbˈɑːɹkɪŋ ˌɔn ɐ sˈɪɹiz ʌv hɪstˈɔːɹɪkəl nˈɑːvəlz, sˈɛvɹəl ʌvwˈɪtʃ ɑːɹ sˈɛt ɪnðə twˈɛlfθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi.
He worked as a copywriter and book-reviewer before embarking on a series of historical novels, several of which are set in the twelfth century.