A man desires praise that he may be reassured, that he may be quit of his doubting of himself; he is indifferent to applause when he is confident of success.

Nevertheless his 1957 novel Island in the Sun was a best-seller as was his 1973 novel A Fatal Gift. He was captured by the Germans near Arras in March 1918 and spent the rest of the war in prisoner-of-war camps in Karlsruhe and Mainz. It was also a best seller.

He went on to a career as a successful author although never as successful or innovative as his younger brother. The success of the film adaptation of Island in the Sun and the Harry Belafonte title track provided inspiration as well as the name for the highly successful Island Records record label. It was also a best seller.