Early Life and Education
Born in Hull, Pirie is the son of Douglas Pirie and Eva Madsen. As a child he attended the Humberstone Foundation School (also known as Clee Grammar School for Boys; now the comprehensive Matthew Humberstone School) in Old Clee, Lincolnshire.
He graduated with an MA in History from the University of Edinburgh (1970), with a PhD in Philosophy from the University of St Andrews (1974), and with an MPhil in Land Economy from Pembroke College, Cambridge (1997).
Read more about this topic: Madsen Pirie
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