Joseph E. Persico (1930–2014) was an American author, military historian, biographer, and speechwriter renowned for his works on 20th-century history and political figures. Born on July 19, 1930, he served in the U.S. military during the Korean War era before transitioning to public relations and advertising. Persico gained prominence from 1974 to 1977 as the primary speechwriter for Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, which provided him insider access to American political elites that informed his later biographical writings. He collaborated on several high-profile memoirs, including Colin Powell's 'My American Journey' (1995) and Edward R. Murrow's accounts. His acclaimed works include 'The Imperial Rockefeller: A Biography of Nelson A. Rockefeller' (1982), 'Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial' (1994) — later adapted into a television docudrama — and 'Franklin and Lucy: President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other Side of Power' (2008). Persico's writing often explored themes of power, secrecy, and historical accountability, and he also worked as a screenwriter on historical adaptations. He lived primarily in the northeastern United States, settling in Guilderland, New York, where he continued writing until his death on August 30, 2014, at age 84.