Stéphane Courtois
Stéphane Courtois is a French historian, professor at the Catholic University of Vendée, and director of research at the French National Centre for Scientific Research.
Interestingly, he was formerly a Maoist before dedicating his career to studying the history of communism.
In 1997, he published his landmark work with contributions from numerous prominent historians.
Translated into many languages and selling millions of copies worldwide, the book became one of the most influential and controversial examinations of communist and state socialist regimes in the 20th century, cementing Courtois's reputation as a leading, if polarizing, authority on the subject.
