Joachim C. Fest (born December 8, 1926 in Berlin) is a German journalist and author, best known in English-speaking countries for his biography of Adolf Hitler.

His father was strongly opposed to the Nazis, and did not allow him to join the Hitler Youth. Fest believes this contributed to his individualistic nature. Nevertheless, he was drafted and served in the Wehrmacht during World War II, which ended while he was held as a prisoner of war in France

After he attended the Gymnasium in Berlin and in Freiburg im Breisgau, he studied law, history, sociology, German literature, and art history in Freiburg, Frankfurt am Main, and finally Berlin. There, he worked for a radio station (RIAS) as the editor in charge of contemporary history from 1954 to 1961. He then served as the editor-in-chief of television for the NDR broadcasting service, but resigned in a disagreement.

With his newfound independence, he researched and wrote his famous biography of Adolf Hitler: a work that became an instant success, a worldwide bestseller. He edited the culture section of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung until 1993.

He is married, and has two sons and a daughter; all his children work in publishing or the media.

The movie "Der Untergang", released in 2004, about the last days of Hitler was for a large part based on his book about the subject.

Works available in English

• Hitler (ISBN 0156027542)
• Inside Hitler's Bunker : The Last Days of the Third Reich (ISBN 0374135770)
• The Face of the Third Reich: Portraits of the Nazi Leadership (ISBN 030680915X)
• Speer: The Final Verdict (ISBN 0151005567)
• Plotting Hitler's Death : The Story of German Resistance (ISBN 0805056483)

External links

• Review and biography from independent.co.uk.