François-Régis Bastide (1 July 1926; Biarritz – 16 April 1996; Paris) was a French writer, diplomat, politician, and radio host. Bastide was born in Biarritz in the French Basque Country on 1 July 1926 and attended school in Bayonne. In October 1944 he joined the 2nd Armored Division led by General Leclerc and participated in the last phase of the WWII Western Front operations. Bastide published his first book, the novel Lettre de Bavière, in 1947. He continued to publish books regularly and w ...