Zita Ballinger Fletcher is an award-winning author and military historian.
She holds an MA in Military History with Distinction from the University of Birmingham (UK) Centre for War Studies and is a graduate of the Honors College at the University of South Florida. She has written over 10 books, including both fiction and nonfiction, and over 100 military history articles. She is fluent in German.
Zita served as the official historian of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, and was previously the first female editor of Military History Quarterly (MHQ) and Vietnam magazines.
She is the author of the first published collection of Field Marshal Rommel’s wartime photography. Her newest book is, “Montgomery vs. Rommel at El Agheila 1942: Duel at the Gates of Egypt,” published by Pen & Sword Military.
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.
Some of her past books were published under the pen name “Zita Steele” she created a long time ago. The pen name “Steele” was a wordplay on steel metal; her element according to the Chinese zodiac and Five Elements system is Metal.
Apart from her military history research and writing, she enjoys traveling, music, and a wide variety of outdoor/physical activities.
“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.”
Awards & Honors
Master of Arts in Military History with Distinction, University of Birmingham Centre for War Studies, December 2024
2nd Place for Editing – National Federation of Press Women – 2022 – For Editing the article, “Raw Courage: How Clerks, Cooks and Mechanics Repelled A Sapper Attack,” for Vietnam magazine
1st Place for Special Interest Video – National Federation of Press Women – 2021
2nd Place for Articles, History – National Federation of Press Women – 2020 – for “Monty Crosses the Rhine: How Field Marshal Montgomery Bridged Germany’s Toughest River, Liberated a Concentration Camp and Forced a Decisive Surrender,” World War II Quarterly magazine
Silver Medal for History, Nonfiction – Military Writers Society of America – 2020 – for “Bernard Montgomery’s Art of War“
Bronze Medal for Historical Fiction – Military Writers Society of America – 2020 – for “The Hidden Sphinx: A Tale of World War II Egypt”
Magna Cum Laude – College of Arts & Sciences – University of South Florida – 2013
Honors College Graduate – University of South Florida – 2013
Speaker at USF World Languages Colloquium – Represented German Department & gave presentation on Third Reich research – 2012
Commended Student – National Merit Scholarship Corporation – 2009
SAT Top Scores – Placed in Top 3% of 1.5 million students in the USA in English Critical Reading – 2007
Spelling Bee Champion – 2004
3rd Place – New Mexico Arts & Crafts Fair Youth Exhibit (statewide) – 1996