David was born in Surbiton and educated at King's College School, Wimbledon, and Queen's College, University of Cambridge, where he was awarded a BA in 1958 and an MA in 1961. Originally working as a teacher at Wilson's Grammar School, London, and Vyners School, Ickenham, he moved to Exeter to 1968 to take up the position of lecturer at St. Luke's College.

He was promoted to senior lecturer in 1973, and then became lecturer in education in 1978 when the college became a part of the University of Exeter. He remained at the University until 1984, when he retired early in order to write full-time. In 1986 he founded the publishing company Third House with fellow writer Peter Robins. He married in 1966 and had two sons.

His autobiography, Not For Your Hands, was published in 1992. Much of his work can be classed as young adult fiction. Some of his fiction was contemporary, some historical, with settings including Devon and Ireland. His books Quintin's Man and In the Tent were the first teen books in the U.K. to have gay central characters. The Milkman's on His Way was cited in the British Parliament by a proponent of Section 28, as promoting homosexuality.

His work includes: Storm Surge (1975) Quintin's Man (1976) The Ferryman (1977) The House that Moved (1978) The Exeter Blitz (1978) The Green Bough of Liberty (1979) In the Tent (1979) The Marble in the Water (1980) The Milkman's on His Way (1982) The Estuary (1983)

Painted Desert, Green Shade (1984) Out of the Winter Gardens (1984) The Hunger (1986) Twos and Threes (1987) The Flying Island (1988) The Colour of His Hair (1989) Letters to Dorothy (1991) Flux (1991) Not For Your Hands (1992) Packing It In (1993) Get Your War On (2002)