After a few years at Penguin long ago, I went freelance and have scraped along ever since. Much of my work is non-fiction for children, and most of this has been focussed on history and similar areas. I have had well over 200 books published on everything from Ian Botham and Genghis Khan to the Renaissance and the atomic bomb. I have also written quite a few grown-up books, mostly on whisky and food. My children's books have been shortlisted for several awards, including the TES and the Royal Society.
