Jean Lacouture

Jean Lacouture (June 9, 1921 – July 16, 2015) was a prominent French journalist, historian, and author, renowned for his comprehensive biographies of influential figures in history.

Born in Bordeaux, France, Lacouture embarked on his journalism journey in 1950 with Combat, where he served as a diplomatic redactor. A year later, he joined the prestigious newspaper Le Monde, and by 1953, he was stationed in Cairo working for France Soir. He returned to Le Monde as the director of overseas services and grand reporter, a distinguished title in French journalism, holding this position until 1975.

A politically active figure on the Left, Lacouture was a staunch advocate for decolonization and supported François Mitterrand starting in 1981. His journalistic contributions extended to the Nouvel Observateur and L'Histoire, and he gained further recognition as a contributor to the 1968 documentary “In the Year of the Pig,” which examined the Vietnam War.

In addition to his journalism, Lacouture served as the publication director at Éditions du Seuil from 1961 to 1982 and taught at the Institut d'Études Politiques in Paris from 1969 to 1972. His extensive body of work includes biographies of notable figures such as Ho Chi Minh, Charles de Gaulle, and François Mauriac, among others.

An avid music enthusiast, Lacouture was also president of a society dedicated to composer Georges Bizet. He passed away in Roussillon, France, in 2015, leaving behind a rich legacy in literature and journalism.