Uwe Feist - Author

[Sergio Luis dos Santos]

Just saw today at Hyperscale forum news about his death. No other details given.

[Franek Grabowski]

RZM Imports, Inc.
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It is with great sadness that I share the passing of my longtime friend and colleague, Uwe Feist, who passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 19, 2026, at the age of 88.
I had the privilege of knowing Uwe not only through our shared work in military publishing, but also as a friend. We spoke regularly—often weekly—talking shop about the business, discussing books, and sharing ideas. Those conversations always seemed to drift into stories from his early days as an illustrator, long before I had the chance to know him personally. I will truly miss those calls, his insight, and the genuine enthusiasm he always brought to the subjects he loved.
Uwe Feist was a pioneer in the world of military publishing and illustration. Beginning in the mid-1960s with Aero Publishers, he helped shape an entirely new way of presenting military history through visual storytelling. He went on to create the Aero Armor Series and later founded Squadron/Signal Publications in the early 1970s, introducing the now-iconic horizontal format softcover books. These titles were affordable, accessible, and specifically designed as high-quality visual reference guides for military modelers and enthusiasts—a concept that would influence generations.
As an artist, Uwe’s work reached a wide audience—he illustrated all of the book covers for R.P. Hunnicutt’s renowned series on American armored vehicles, a body of work that remains highly respected among historians and collectors. He also played a key role in encouraging and giving an early opportunity to a then-unknown illustrator, Ron Volstad, helping launch what would become a distinguished career illustrating German soldiers for the iconic In Action series.
Throughout his career, Uwe collaborated with notable historians such as Walter Spielberger on the “Militärfahrzeug” series published by Motorbuch Verlag in Stuttgart. In 1990, he launched Ryton Publishing, where he partnered with historian Bruce Culver to produce a new series of books focused on World War II German military subjects. Among these was the Tiger I 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition, followed by nearly 20 titles published through 2012, including his final work, Otto Carius Meine Dienstzeit: 100th Birthday Limited Edition.
Beyond publishing, Uwe spent many years traveling across Europe and the former Eastern Bloc conducting research and helping to procure military vehicles and equipment for the renowned Jacques Littlefield collection. Today, many of those vehicles are preserved and displayed at the American Heritage Museum in Massachusetts—another lasting contribution to the preservation of military history.
Uwe was also a gifted artist, known for his photo-realistic illustrations of armored vehicles, modern jet aircraft, and commissioned portraits of famous pilots and aces. His passion for both armor and aviation was evident in everything he created.
Uwe’s impact on the hobby, the publishing world, and the preservation of military history is immeasurable. For me personally, I have lost not only a respected colleague, but a trusted friend. He will be deeply missed.
Uwe is survived by his wife Anne and his daughter Monika.
Please help spread the news by sharing this post with any group or person who is a military modeller or enthusiast. Thank you.

[Teresa Maria]

Rest in peace.