At Cricetus Cricetus Publishing, we are thrilled to shine a light on Michal, a versatile author whose diverse passions have led him to explore subjects ranging from transport systems to the history of astronomy. His relentless curiosity and dedication to learning have produced works that not only inform but also inspire. Join us as we delve into Michal's world to learn more about his inspirations, writing process, and what he has in store for readers next.
Mini Bio: Michal, a proud Pole born and raised in England, navigates life with a passion for an eclectic range of interests—from transport to moths to the history of astronomy. His boundless curiosity led him to author The Perfect Transport, drawing on years of expertise in the transport software industry. Ever the self-learner, Michal even taught himself Latin to translate the 17th-century astronomer Giovanni Battista Riccioli's Almagestum Novum, the monumental work that named the Moon's craters. When not immersed in work or literature, Michal enjoys nothing more than taking his children on fossil-hunting adventures, sharing with them the joy of discovery.
What inspired you to start writing?
I first started writing "The Perfect Transport" as a way to consolidate all my notes I was taking from reading books at the London Underground library. It became a driving force when I decided that an introductory book to transport science was necessary due to the poor quality of political debate around transport.
Can you tell us about your latest book and what readers can expect from it?
My translation and commentary on the "Almagestum Novum" restores a forgotten part of the History of Astronomy. Most people know a thing or two about Copernicus or Galileo, but typical courses at school or university barely cover the great difficulties that were overcome to disprove Geocentrism.
Riccioli's "Almagestum Novum" was the most comprehensive astronomical textbook of its time that also included a full history of astronomy. Whoever reads this book is frankly going to learn a significant amount of history of science and gain a good understanding of pre-Newtonian astronomy.
Almagestum Novum even garnered praise "from the prolific Historian of Science Thony Christie, who recommended that “ If you have a serious interest in the history of astronomy in the seventeenth century you should immediately acquire a copy!” You can read the full review on Thony’s blog here.
What’s your favourite part of the writing process?
My favourite part of writing is reading, research and investigation. What I write are always the things that I learnt that I think everyone should know. I have a particular fondness for the history of science for this reason - a single comment in one of my books can in fact be many days of detective work, looking through both contemporary and ancient works to get a better understanding of a concept or event.
Who are your biggest literary influences?
I love the works of Tolkien, obviously, but I'm clearly not writing fiction. In terms of my non-fiction influences, some of my favourite authors must be Roger Penrose, Michał Heller, Owen Gingerich, Christopher Graney, and obviously Riccioli.
What’s next for you in your writing journey?
I'm translating more of Riccioli's works, but I'm also writing a commentary on Galileo's theory of tides, a history of ancient tide charts, a textbook on linear algebra, a history of the relationship between politics and astronomy, and hopefully I won't start any more projects before I get these out of the door!
Recently, Michal was also interviewed by the Society for the History of Astronomy, a conversation that delved deeper into his fascinating work on Almagestum Novum. You can find the full interview here.
Books by Michal:
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