Hunt was born in
Durham, and studied at
Wadham College, Oxford. He served with distinction in
World War II, he received his
OBE in 1943 and entered the diplomatic service in 1947. From 1967 to 1969, he served as
High Commissioner to Nigeria. In this capacity, Hunt was criticized for his and the
Wilson governments actions during the
Nigerian Civil War by opposition politicians and journalists, among them
Frederick Forsyth, who covered the conflict on the ground. Subsequently, beginning in 1969, Hunt was
British Ambassador to Brazil, retiring in 1973. In 1975, he published
On the spot: an ambassador remembers about his tenure in Brazil. He joined the
board of directors of
The Observer around 1977.
Mastermind Hunt won the
Mastermind title in 1977 and was runner-up in the
Mastermind International of 1979 (won by
John Mulcahy of Ireland). In 1982, a
Champion of Champions tournament among the first ten
Mastermind champions was televised. Hunt won the overall title with his specialist subject of
Alexander the Great. == Personal life ==