Young was born in Halesowen, West Midlands and trained in medicine. Only after working for a while as a doctor did he turn to writing. His first successful book was Portrait of Clare (1927), which won the Tait Black memorial prize. Most of his works have a very English feel to them. Like many authors he uses the places and occupations he knew as the backdrops for his work. There is much description of the sea, war and medical practice set in places as far apart as the Midlands and West Country of England and South Africa. His first published novel Deep Sea (1914) has Brixham as a background while Portrait of Clare is set in the West Midlands, as are several of his works from this period. The Iron Age (1916) is set partly in Ludlow, Shropshire.
Other works