According to David Cesarani of the Wiener Library in London,
England, he attended Imperial College at the University of
London, but never graduated. He holds no academic degree
and no academic position at any university or college.
He calls himself a "moderate fascist", and claims, among
other things that the gas chambers at Auschwitz (in which an
estimated 2-3 million people died) were "built by the Poles
after the war as a tourist attraction." (For this remark, he was
fined DM 10,000 by a Munich court in May 1992.
The judge was quoted as saying that the gas chambers of
Auschwitz were "an historically certain fact.")
Irving denies being a "Holocaust denier" or "Hitler apologist",
and seems willing to resort to legal action if necessary.
In a recent fax printed in the K-W Record, he is reported as
saying, "I have warned 22 British newspapers that I shall not
hesitate to commence libel action if they use smear phrases
such like 'Hitler apologist' or 'Holocaust denier' to embellish
their writings." But Bernard Levin, writing in The Times of
London in May of this year, quoted Irving as saying, "I hope
the court will fight a battle for the German people and put an
end to the blood lie of the Holocaust which has been told
against this country for 50 years." Irving first entered the
headlines in 1970.
In July of that year, he was forced to apologize in the High
Court of London for "making a wholly untrue and highly
damaging statement about a woman writer."--not an
auspicious start for someone who claims to be in pursuit of the
truth.
Later that year, Irving was back in the headlines, concerning
publication of his book, "The Destruction of Convoy PQ17".
Ostensibly an expose of an ill-fated 1942 Arctic convoy
headed for the Soviet Union during World War II, it eventually
resulted in Irving being fined 40,000 British pounds for libel.
Irving's book faulted Captain John Broome, commander of the
convoy at the time, saying he was guilty of "downright
disobedience" and "downright desertion of the convoy."
Broome brought suit against Irving for false statements, and
won a judgment in August of 1970.
Irving's lawyers appealed, and lost in March, 1971.
The case is revealing because of what it says about Irving's
abilities as a historian and his motives as an author.
According to the Times of London, Irving showed a copy of the
manuscript to Broome before publication. Broome objected to
the accuracy of some thirty passages in the book, and
threatened to sue for libel if Irving did not make changes.
At that point, William Kimbers Ltd., Irving's publisher, notified
him that they would not publish the book as it was then
written. Later, Irving published the book with another
publisher.