I was born in England and trained in archaeology and anthropology at Cambridge University. After seven years carrying out fieldwork in Central and East Africa, I came to the United States in 1966.
For 36 years, I was a Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I retired in 2003 and am now a full-time writer and lecturer on archaeology, climate change, history,
and other subjects. My other interests are bicycling, cruising under sail, kayaking, and good food.