Sir Martin Gilbert, the British Jewish historian who was Winston Churchill's official biographer and wrote extensively on Israel and the Holocaust, has died following a lengthy illness. He was 79.
John Chilcot, a senior British civil servant, told a parliamentary committee Wednesday that Gilbert had died the previous night. Gilbert was a member of Chilcot's panel which is conducting an official investigation of the Iraq war.
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Sir Martin Gilbert receives an honorary degree from Ben-Gurion University. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
(צילום: Wikimedia commons)
Gilbert wrote more than 80 books, including many with themes related to the World War II. But he is also known for his work on Churchill, including "Churchill: A Life; "Churchill: The Power of Words," and "Continue to Pester, Nag, and Bite: Churchill's War Leadership."
Other titles include "Israel: A History," and the three-volume "History of the 20th Century."
Popular British historian Simon Schama, whose television series The Story of the Jews was broadcast on BBC in 2013, expressed his sorrow over Gilbert's passing on Twitter.
Gilbert was knighted for services to British history and international relations.
His funeral will reportedly take place in Beit Shemesh on Thursday.