Spence was born on 11 June 1931 in
Krugersdorp, South Africa. He was educated at
Pretoria Boys High School, South Africa; the
University of Witwatersrand; and the
London School of Economics. He lectured at a variety of universities in Britain, South Africa and the United States and was Professor of Politics and Pro-Vice Chancellor at the
University of Leicester (1973–1991). He was employed as Director of Studies at the
Royal Institute of International Affairs (1991–1997). He worked at the
Department of War Studies at King's College London for 23 years beginning in 1997. Spence co-founded the
British Journal of International Studies and the
Journal of Southern African Studies, and edited
International Affairs. Spence died on 15 August 2025, at the age of 94. ==Bibliography==