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).
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.