William Lawrence Shirer (February 23, 1904 - December 28, 1993) was an American historian and journalist. He is known for being the writer of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.

Shirer, a radio reporter for CBS, covered Germany for many years until being forced to flee just before World War II. This twelve-hundred page book, first published in 1959 and still in print, is not just an objective examination, but colors its historically accurate information with denunciation of the evils of Nazism and tyranny.

In the early 1930's Shirer worked in India and formed a close friendship with Gandhi. In the 1982 movie Gandhi the composite American Journalist character played by Martin Sheen, is said to largely represent Shirer.

Books

Non-fiction

• Gandhi, A Memoir. (1979)
• Berlin Diary (1941)
• End of a Berlin Diary
• Midcentury Journey
• The Challenge of Scandinavia
• The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich (1959)
• The Collapse of the Third Republic (1969)

Fiction

• The Traitor
• Stranger Come Home
• The Consul's Wife

External Links

• William Shirer Obituary
• More on William Shirer