Hans Hellmut Kirst

Hans Hellmut Kirst (December 5, 1914 - February 13, 1989) was a distinguished German author from Osterode, East Prussia.

Kirst wrote many books which have been translated into English. He is best known for "Die Nacht der Generale: Roman", which was translated as "The Night of the Generals." The book was made into successful 1967 film of the same name.

Kirst, a World War II veteran, wrote other novels about the corruption of Germany and its armed forces by Nazism. Kirst's series of Gunner Asch books follows the career of a soldier from before World War II, to the Eastern Front, and finally to post-war Germany. They were published in English as:

* "The Revolt of Gunner Asch" [1955]
* "Forward, Gunner Asch!" [1956] (Also Published as "Gunner Asch Goes to War")
* "The Return of Gunner Asch" [1957]
* "What Became of Gunner Asch" [1964]

At the end of the war, Asch was a lieutenant as Kirst was.

"Die letzte Karte spielt der Tod" is a fictional account of the life of Soviet spy Richard Sorge. That book was published in English as "The Last Card" and "Death Plays the Last Card".

Kirst also wrote a series of detective novels set in Munich in the 1960s. Those books were published in English translations as "Damned to Success" (and also as "A Time for Scandal"), "A Time for Truth", and "Everything has a Price."

Other major novels by Kirst set during World War II include "The Castle", "Officer Factory", "Camp Seven Next Stop," and "The Fox of Maulen" (subsequently re-named "The Wolves"). All of these novels were superbly translated by J M Brownjohn and show Kirst's unique blend of deadpan humour and devastating satire.