Michael White (author)
Michael White (16 February 1959[1] – 6 February 2018[2]) was a British writer who was based in Perth, Western Australia. He wrote biographies, novels and about science.
Early life and education
He studied at King's College London (1977–1982) and was a chemistry lecturer at d'Overbroeck's College, Oxford (1984–1991).
Career
He was a science editor of British GQ, a columnist for the Sunday Express in London and, 'in a previous incarnation', he was a member of Colour Me Pop. Colour Me Pop featured on the "Europe in the Year Zero" EP in 1982 with Yazoo and Sudeten Creche. He was then a member of the pop group Thompson Twins (1982).[3] He moved to Australia in 2002, and was made an Honorary Research Fellow at Curtin University in 2005.
He was the author of thirty-five books: these include Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science; Leonardo: The First Scientist; Tolkien: A Biography; and C. S. Lewis: The Boy Who Chronicled Narnia. His first novel, Equinox, is a thriller, an occult mystery that reached the top ten in the bestseller list in the U.K. and has been translated into thirty-five languages. His non-fiction production includes the biography Galileo: Antichrist[4] Novels following Equinox include The Medici Secret, The Borgia Ring and The Art of Murder.
White wrote under two further names, Tom West and Sam Fisher.[5] He used the latter pseudonym to publish the E-Force trilogy, State of Emergency, Aftershock, and Nano.[6]
A further novel by White, The Venetian Detective, features characters including Galileo and Elizabeth.
White wrote a biography of Isaac Newton, The Last Sorcerer. He was both short-listed and long-listed for the Aventis Prize. Rivals was short-listed in 2002,[7] and The Fruits of War long-listed in 2006.[8] He was also nominated for the Ned Kelly Prize for First Novel (for Equinox in 2007).[9]
Works
- (2016) The Venetian Detective (a novel, as Michael White)
- (2012) The Kennedy Conspiracy (a novel, as Michael White)
- (2011) The Art of Murder (a novel, as Michael White)
- (2011) Nano (a novel, as Sam Fisher).
- (2010) Aftershock (a novel, as Sam Fisher).
- (2009) State of Emergency (a novel, under the name of Sam Fisher)
- (2009) The Borgia Ring (a novel)
- (2008) The Medici Secret (a novel)
- (2007) Coffee with Newton (non-fiction)
- (2007) Galileo Antichrist, a Biography
- (2006) Equinox (a novel)
- (2004) C. S. Lewis: Creator of Narnia
- (2005) A Teaspoon and an Open Mind: The Science of Doctor Who
- (2005) The Fruits of War
- (2004) Machiavelli: A Man Misunderstood
- (2003) A History of the 21st Century (with Gentry Lee) – Korean translation version
- (2002) The Pope and the Heretic
- (2001) Tolkien: A Biography
- (2002) Rivals – shortlisted for the Aventis Prize
- (2000) Thompson Twin: An ’80s Memoir
- (2000) Leonardo: The First Scientist
- Super Science
- (1997) Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer
- Life Out There
- Alien Life Forms
- Mind and Matter
- (1996) The Science of the X-Files
- (1994) Asimov: The Unauthorised Biography
- Breakthrough (with Kevin Davies)
- Darwin: A Life in Science (with John Gribbin)
- Einstein: A Life in Science (with John Gribbin)
- Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science (with John Gribbin)
- Newton (for younger readers)
- Galileo (for younger readers)
- John Lennon (for younger readers)
- Mozart (for younger readers)
References
- ↑ "Michael White, pop star turned bestselling writer – obituary". The Telegraph. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ↑ "Former pop musician dies in Perth". The West Australian. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
- ↑ "Michael White is 'the punky professor', and Andrew Laming on moving to politics". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ↑ Callow, Simon (3 August 2007). "Review: Galileo Antichrist". The Guardian.
- ↑ White, Michael (1999). Isaac Newton: Discovering Laws that Govern the Universe, note about the author. Blackbirch Press. ISBN 978-1-56711-326-6. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ↑ "State of Emergency – Sam Fisher – Michael White". Michael White (michaelwhite.com.au). Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ↑ Yates, Emma (26 June 2002). "Hawking's Universe wins Aventis prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ↑ "Popular Science – Aventis Prize 2006". popularscience.co.uk. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ↑ Colman, Padraig (14 May 2016). "The Venetian Detective, book review". The Island. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
External links
- 1959 births
- 2018 deaths
- 20th-century English educators
- 20th-century English male journalists
- 20th-century English journalists
- 20th-century English male musicians
- 20th-century English memoirists
- 20th-century English novelists
- 20th-century occultists
- 20th-century pseudonymous writers
- 21st-century English educators
- 21st-century English male journalists
- 21st-century English journalists
- 21st-century English male musicians
- 21st-century English memoirists
- 21st-century English novelists
- 21st-century occultists
- 21st-century pseudonymous writers
- Academics from Oxford
- Alumni of King's College London
- British expatriate writers
- Daily Express people
- Educators from London
- Educators from Perth, Western Australia
- English columnists
- English expatriates in Australia
- English magazine editors
- English male biographers
- English male novelists
- English occult writers
- English pop musicians
- English science writers
- English thriller writers
- Expatriate journalists
- GQ (magazine)
- Historians from London
- Historians from Western Australia
- Journalists from London
- Journalists from Oxford
- Journalists from Western Australia
- Musicians from London
- Musicians from Oxford
- Musicians from Perth, Western Australia
- Nord Anglia Education
- Novelists from London
- Thompson Twins members
- Writers from Perth, Western Australia