Martin Gilbert was one of the most distinguished historians of the 20th century. He was born in London in 1936, studied at the Highgate School and spent two years in the army as a soldier. He graduated in Modern History in 1960 and was a research assistant to Randolph Churchill, who was succeeded as Sir Winston S. Churchill's official biographer, writing six of the eight volumes of his biography. His other works include The Holocaust (1990), In Search of Churchill (1994), The Day the War Ended (1995) and The First World War and The Second World War, the latter successfully published by this publisher in Spain.

His wife, Susie, was his main collaborator on historical issues. Since 1962 he has served on the faculty and governing board of Merton College, Oxford. In 1990 he was appointed Commander of the British Empire for services rendered to teaching and a Knight in 1995.

He died in London on February 3, 2015.