Stéphane Courtois is a French historian and professor at the Catholic University of Vendée.
A former Maoist, Courtois specializes in the history of communism. He is director of research at the French National Centre for Scientific Research.
In 1997, Courtois published the book Le Livre noir du communisme (The Black Book of Communism), to which a large number of prominent historians contributed. It has been translated into numerous languages, sold millions of copies, and is considered one of the most influential and controversial books written about the history of communism and state socialist regimes in the 20th century.