His doctoral thesis was entitled, "The Duel and the English Gentleman" and he has lectured and published internationally on the subject of honor culture, British society and the duel. A criminal lawyer, he has a particular interest in murder and manslaughter in eighteenth and nineteenth century England and in the history of violence in Victorian London. He has advised on trial re-enactments for both television and film and when not directing the Forum for Legal and Historical Research he is a keen student of Tai Chi Sword and British folklore.