David is a keen amateur historian who has spent the major part of his career living and working in the travel, tourism development and hotel industries. He first went to Malawi in 1986, on transfer from Kenya, to become the Chief Executive of the seven hotels in the Malawi Hotels Group and of Soche Tours and Travel. He subsequently wrote a best-selling Guide to Malawi (Central Africana, 1994) and also edited and wrote an Appendix to Let Us Die For Africa: an African perspective on the life and death of John Chilembwe of Nyasaland/Malawi by Desmond Phiri, (Central Africana, 1999). He has also published numerous papers and articles on Malawian history in addition to current travel and tourism issues in the Middle East and Africa, where he has travelled extensively.

Presently living  in the U.K., David is co-editor of The Society of Malawi Journal - Historical and Scientific and organises an annual Friends of Malawi luncheon, attended by the Malawi High Commissioner and hosting eminent guest speakers. An inevitable joy in writing about Malawi's Colonial Forts (p 82) is that of rekindled memories, both vintage and more recent, of Malawian camaraderie and natural good humour throughout numerous expeditions, whatever unexpected local circumstance or weather conspired to impose.