His doctoral work at Cambridge University examined the contest for power in northern Sumatra, Indonesia in the late 19th century, and he extended this study into a book The Blood of the People on the national and social revolutions in that region 1945-49.
Karya doktoralnya di Cambridge University menyoroti persaingan kekuasaan di utara Sumatra, Indonesia pada akhir abad ke-19, dan ia melebarkan kajian ini dalam buku The Blood of the People tentang revolusi nasional dan sosial di kawasan tersebut pada 1945-49.