Ian is the author of 14 books and four map narratives about the history of Essex and eight books in other genres that draw on Essex for inspiration. His history books include Secret City of Southend (2022), Southend in 50 Buildings (2016) and A History of Southend (hardback 2001, paperback 2010). His first book, Islands of Essex, was published in 1994. Throughout the 1990s, Ian wrote history articles for a number of county magazines, including Essex Countryside (as was) and This Month in Essex. He has an MA in History (with distinction) from the University of Essex (2011) for which he won a prize for his dissertation on population migration in the Rochford Hundred in the late 19th-century. In 2019-21 Ian worked as a historical consultant on a project to create a heritage tapestry celebrating 1,000 years of the history of Rochford District. He has also contributed several chapters to a forthcoming volume of the prestigious Victoria County History series about Southend.