I grew up in Liverpool, where my first acquaintance with foreign travel was probably being smuggled aboard the Dublin boat to say goodbye to my auntie. I became interested in travel writing following the publication of my PhD thesis in Russian history in 1989 and the (coincidental) fall of the Berlin Wall.

I am the author of guide books to destinations in more than a dozen countries, including Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Baltic States, Turkey, Spain, Portugal and China. I am also the co-author of numerous children’s books with my wife, Melanie, and have written a novel and a radio play.

I have lived in Amsterdam, Moscow, Madrid, Shanghai, El Salvador and, since 2009, Berlin where I am currently based.

I am fluent in Spanish and have a good working knowledge of German, Russian, Italian and Czech; also some Polish.

Other interests: My passion is urban living and all that entails. In Berlin I spend most of my spare time visiting the fantastic museums, getting around by bike, browsing book shops, watching soccer, sampling the lively cultural and artistic scene and observing German eating and drinking culture from close quarters!

Professional associations: As well as the British Guild of Travel Writers, I am a member of the Society of Authors.