Michael Johnstone was born and educated in Edinburgh. Having trained as a teacher, he entered the world of publishing, joining William Collins in Glasgow. Later, he went to Octopus where he helped to establish the Children's Division.
Michael is the author of over sixty (mainly non-fiction) books, including Gangland: A Global History of Gang War, Gangsters and Criminal Culture. His fiction credits include the twelve-book Aliens series for Andre Deutsch, and My History News: In Space, which was runner-up for the Aventis Prize for the best science book for children.