In 1970, he went to Indochina to cover the Vietnam War. He stayed there until 1975, working first for AFP, then as a freelance reporter, mainly for the Sunday Times, the BBC, The Economist and the Daily Mail, before being hired for the Sunday Times.

In April 1975, he is the only journalist present in Phnom Penh when the city falls into the hands of the Khmer Rouge. His articles allowed him to obtain the British Press Award for being the Journalist of the Year. His story is the subject of a film, The Tear, and is also the basis of his book, River of Time.