David John Hirst (26 May 1936 – 22 September 2025) was a British journalist and foreign correspondent who reported extensively on the Middle East. Based for most of his career in Beirut, he wrote for *The Guardian* from 1964 to 2001 and continued contributing until 2013. He was described as the paper’s "authoritative correspondent" through four decades of change in the region. Hirst focused heavily on the Arab–Israeli conflict and was described as having an academic approach to journalism.

The Gun and the Olive Branch
1977
ISBN 9789953211367
Sadat
1981
ISBN 9780571116904
Beware of Small States
2010
ISBN 9789963610990
Oil and Public Opinion in the Middle East
1966

Pocket Guide to Australia
2016
ISBN 9781367396555