Zita Steele

Zita Ballinger Fletcher, sometimes known by her pen name Zita Steele, is an award-winning author and military historian. She is a graduate of the Honors College at the University of South Florida and earned her Master’s Degree in Military History with Distinction from the University of Birmingham (UK) Centre for War Studies. She has written over 10 books, including both fiction and nonfiction, and over 100 military history articles. She is fluent in German.

Zita was previously the first female editor of Military History Quarterly (MHQ) and Vietnam magazines. She has given numerous presentations about her military history research. After receiving her BA she became the author of the first published collection of Field Marshal Rommel’s wartime photography. She has done research about war history across the US and internationally, visiting many key historic war-related sites including The Museum of Military History in Vienna, Austria; The Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg; The Munich Stadtmuseum, and many more places.

Originally from Los Angeles, California, Zita was named after Empress Zita of Austria, the wife of the last Habsburg emperor, Karl I of Austria. Both Karl and his wife Zita have been inspirations to her. Zita’s earliest goal was to be an author and she always loved soldiers and heroes. You can read more about her enthusiasm for military history in her Author Interview with the Military Writers Society of America:

"One of the main reasons I love military history is because it is filled with courage, leadership and self-sacrifice. I like to learn about feats of bravery and strength. There is also a lot of warmth and humor among soldiers. I admire stories of brotherhood and great commanders who bonded with their troops."

Apart from her military history research and writing, she enjoys traveling, music, a wide variety of sports/physical activities and being outdoors.