Editing David Irving (section)

==''Persona non grata''==
[[File:Irving.Wien-trial.jpg|thumb|Irving during his trial in Austria with a copy of his book ''Hitler's War'']]
After Irving denied the Holocaust in two speeches given in Austria in 1989, the Austrian government issued an arrest warrant for him and barred him from entering the country.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/farright/story/0,,1714403,00.html |title=Irving jailed for denying Holocaust |work=The Guardian |access-date=20 September 2009 |location=London |first=Ian |last=Traynor |date=21 February 2006}}</ref> In early 1992, a German court found him guilty of Holocaust denial under the ''Auschwitzlüge'' section of the law against ''[[Volksverhetzung]]'' (a failed appeal by Irving would see the fine rise from 10,000 DM to 30,000 DM), and he was subsequently barred from entering Germany.<ref>{{Harvnb|Evans|2002|pp=27–28}}</ref><ref name="adl profile"/> Other governments followed suit, including Italy and Canada,<ref>Duff, Oliver. [http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article346741.ece " David Irving: An anti-Semitic racist who has suffered financial ruin"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070422204331/http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article346741.ece |date=22 April 2007}}, ''The Independent'', 21 February 2006.</ref> where he was arrested in November 1992 and deported to the United Kingdom.<ref name="adl profile"/> In an administrative hearing surrounding those events, he was found by the hearing office to have engaged in a "total fabrication" in telling a story of an exit from and return to Canada which would, for technical reasons, have made the original deportation order invalid. He was also barred from entering Australia in 1992, a ban he made five unsuccessful attempts to overturn.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s96976.htm "Holocaust denier to try another visit to Australia"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603163856/http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s96976.htm |date=3 June 2010 }}. ''The World Today''.</ref>

[[File:Irving.1992.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Irving being deported from Canada, 1992]]
In 1992, Irving signed a contract with [[Macmillan Publishers]] for his biography of [[Joseph Goebbels]] titled ''Goebbels: Mastermind of the Third Reich''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jews attack publisher of Irving book: Protesters to demand company abandons plan to print Goebbels biography by historian working on diaries |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/jews-attack-publisher-of-irving-book-protesters-to-demand-company-abandons-plan-to-print-goebbels-1531572.html |newspaper=The Independent |first=Rosie |last=Waterhouse |date=6 July 1992}}</ref> Following charges that Irving had selectively "edited" a recently discovered complete edition of [[Goebbels Diaries|Goebbels's diaries]] in Moscow, Macmillan cancelled the book deal.<ref>{{Harvnb|Guttenplan|2001|p=55}}.</ref> The decision by ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' (who had bought the rights to serialised extracts from the diaries before Macmillan published them) in July 1992 to hire Irving as a translator of Goebbels's diary was criticised by the British historian [[Peter G. J. Pulzer]], who argued that Irving, because of his views about the Third Reich, was not the best person for the job.<ref name="Lipstadt 1993 180">{{Harvnb|Lipstadt|1993|p=180}}.</ref> [[Andrew Neil]], the editor of ''The Sunday Times'', called Irving "reprehensible", but defended hiring him because he was only a "transcribing technician", which others criticised as a poor description of translation work.<ref name="Lipstadt 1993 180" />

In February 1994 Irving spent 10 days of a 3-month sentence at [[HM Prison Pentonville]] in London for [[contempt of court]] following a legal wrangling over publishing rights.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 February 1994 |title=Far-right author sentenced to jail for contempt of court |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/farright-author-sentenced-to-jail-for-contempt-of-court-1393498.html |access-date=6 November 2023 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=David Irving |url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/david-irving |access-date=6 November 2023 |website=Southern Poverty Law Center |language=en}}</ref>

In 1995, [[St. Martin's Press]] of New York City agreed to publish the Goebbels biography: but after protests, they cancelled the contract, leaving Irving in a situation in which, according to [[D. D. Guttenplan]], he was desperate for financial help, publicity, and the need to re-establish his reputation as a historian.<ref>{{Harvnb|Guttenplan|2001|pp=56–57}}.</ref> The book was eventually self-published.<ref>{{cite web |title=Goebbels : mastermind of the Third Reich |url=https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/1689466 |website=Catalogue |publisher=National Library of Australia |access-date=9 March 2025}}</ref>

===Libel suit===
{{Main|Irving v Penguin Books Ltd}}
{{wikisource|David Irving v Penguin Books and Deborah Lipstadt}}

On 5 September 1996, Irving filed a libel suit against [[Deborah Lipstadt]] and her British publisher Penguin Books for publishing the British edition of Lipstadt's book, ''[[Denying the Holocaust]]'', which had first been published in the United States in 1993.<ref>{{Harvnb|Van Pelt|2002|p=63}}.</ref> In the book, Lipstadt called Irving a Holocaust denier, falsifier and bigot, and said that he manipulated and distorted real documents.

During the trial, Irving claimed that Hitler had not ordered the extermination of the Jews of Europe, was ignorant of the Holocaust and was a friend of the Jews.<ref>{{cite web|title=David Irving: 'Hitler appointed me his biographer'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/david-irving-hitler-appointed-me-his-biographer-1366464.html|newspaper=The Guardian|first=Johann |last=Hari |date=15 January 2009 |access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref>

Lipstadt hired the British solicitor [[Anthony Julius]] to present her case, while Penguin Books hired Kevin Bays and Mark Bateman, libel specialist from media firm [[Davenport Lyons]]. They briefed the libel barrister [[Richard Rampton]] QC and Penguin also briefed junior barrister Heather Rogers. The defendants (with Penguin's insurers paying the fee) also retained Professor [[Richard J. Evans]], historian and Professor of Modern History at [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge University]], as an expert witness. Also working as expert witnesses were the American Holocaust historian [[Christopher Browning]], the German historian [[Peter Longerich]], and the Dutch architectural expert [[Robert Jan van Pelt]]. The last wrote a report attesting to the fact that the death camps were designed, built and used for the purpose of [[mass murder]], while Browning testified for the reality of the Holocaust. Evans' report was the most comprehensive, in-depth examination of Irving's work:

{{blockquote|Not one of [Irving's] books, speeches or articles, not one paragraph, not one sentence in any of them, can be taken on trust as an accurate representation of its historical subject. All of them are completely worthless as history, because Irving cannot be trusted anywhere, in any of them, to give a reliable account of what he is talking or writing about ... if we mean by historian someone who is concerned to discover the truth about the past, and to give as accurate a representation of it as possible, then Irving is not a historian.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hdot.org/evans/#evans_6.html |work=Holocaust Denial on Trial: Expert Witness Report |title=Chapter 6. General Conclusion |last=Evans |first=Richard J. |author-link=Richard J. Evans |access-date=19 December 2013 |archive-date=1 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161001221945/https://hdot.org/evans/#evans_6.html |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

The [[BBC]] quoted Evans further:

{{blockquote|Irving ... had deliberately distorted and wilfully mistranslated documents, consciously used discredited testimony and falsified historical statistics. ... Irving has fallen so far short of the standards of scholarship customary amongst historians that he does not deserve to be called a historian at all.<ref name="Walker">{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Andrew |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4449948.stm |title=Profile: David Irving |work=BBC News |date=20 February 2006 |access-date=2 September 2011 |archive-date=28 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070128005937/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4449948.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

Not only did Irving lose the case, but in light of the evidence presented at the trial a number of his works that had previously escaped serious scrutiny were brought to public attention. He was also ordered to pay all of Penguin's trial costs, estimated to be as much as £2 million (US$3.2 million), though it is uncertain how much of these costs he would ultimately pay.<ref name="Walker"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/709996.stm|access-date=12 January 2011|title=Irving defiant over libel defeat|work=BBC News|date=12 April 2000|archive-date=14 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100714174445/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/709996.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> When he did not meet these, Davenport Lyons moved to make him bankrupt on behalf of their client. He was declared bankrupt in 2002,<ref>{{cite news |first1=Vikram |last1=Dodd |last2=Guttenplan |first2=D. D. |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/mar/05/humanities.highereducation |title=Holocaust denier made bankrupt |work=The Guardian |date=5 March 2002 |location=London |archive-date=16 January 2017 |access-date=11 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116120003/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/mar/05/humanities.highereducation |url-status=live }}</ref> and lost his home, though he has been able to travel around the world despite his financial problems.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dodd |first=Vikram |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/may/22/irving.humanities |title=Failed libel action costs Irving his home |work=The Guardian |date=22 May 2002 |access-date=2 September 2011 |location=London |archive-date=13 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113133710/http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/may/22/irving.humanities |url-status=live }}</ref>

Irving subsequently appealed to the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales#Civil Division|Civil Division]] of the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales|Court of Appeal]]. On 20 July 2001, his application for appeal was denied by Lords Justices [[Malcolm Pill]], [[Charles Mantell]] and [[Sir Richard Buxton|Richard Buxton]].<ref name=appealjudgment>''Irving v Penguin Books Ltd & Anor'' (2001) [http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2001/1197.html EWCA Civ 1197] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130414121448/http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2001/1197.html |date=14 April 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Holocaust denier' loses appeal bid |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1448417.stm |work=[[BBC News]] |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=20 January 2001 |access-date=26 June 2009 |archive-date=1 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201000834/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1448417.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The libel suit was depicted in the 2016 film ''[[Denial (2016 film)|Denial]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Berg |first1=Sanchia |title=The true story behind denying the Holocaust |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38758249 |access-date=9 March 2025 |work=BBC News |date=28 January 2017 |archive-date=17 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250317205558/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-38758249 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Life after the libel suit===
{{see also|Irving trial}}
[[File:David irving.jpg|thumb|right|Irving at [[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|the National Archives of the United Kingdom]], 2003]]
In July 2004 the New Zealand Government government decided to not allow Irving to enter the country unless he applied for and was granted special permission. This decision was made on the grounds that he had previously been deported from a different country. Members of the Jewish community had requested that he not be permitted to visit, with the [[New Zealand Jewish Council|New Zealand Jewish Council's]] president stating that Irving was "well known for his anti-Jewish writings and activities, and was found by the High Court in London in 2002 to be racist, [and] an active Holocaust denier".<ref>{{cite news |title=British 'Holocaust denier' denied entry to New Zealand |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-07-30/british-holocaust-denier-denied-entry-to-new/2017770 |access-date=27 March 2025 |work=ABC News |date=30 July 2004 |language=en-AU}}</ref> Irving attempted to travel to New Zealand in September 2004, but was refused permission to board a flight from Los Angeles on the grounds that he did not have permission to enter the country.<ref>{{cite news |title=Irving banned from boarding NZ flight |url=https://www.theage.com.au/world/irving-banned-from-boarding-nz-flight-20040918-gdynhw.html |access-date=27 March 2025 |work=The Age |date=18 September 2004 |language=en}}</ref>

On 11 November 2005, the Austrian police in the southern state of [[Styria]], acting under the 1989 [[arrest warrant|warrant]], arrested Irving. Irving pleaded guilty to the charge of "trivialising, grossly playing down and denying the Holocaust". Irving stated in his plea that he had changed his opinions on the Holocaust, "I said that then based on my knowledge at the time, but by 1991 when I came across the [[Adolf Eichmann|Eichmann]] papers, I wasn't saying that anymore and I wouldn't say that now. The Nazis did murder millions of Jews."<ref>{{cite web|title= David Irving jailed for Holocaust denial|author=<!-- Staff writer(s) -->|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/feb/20/austria.thefarright|date=20 February 2006|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> Irving had obtained the papers from Hugo Byttebier, a Belgian who had served in the [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] during the war and had escaped to Argentina.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/1-33999-2004-04-12.html|title=Página/12 :: El país :: La historia de Byttebier, otro nazi en Argentina|website=www.pagina12.com.ar|language=es|access-date=8 January 2018|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201080902/https://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/1-33999-2004-04-12.html|url-status=live}}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=This seems to have been published originally in El País, a Spanish paper. Can't we cite that instead?|date=April 2022}} Irving was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in accordance with the law prohibiting Nazi activities ({{lang|de|[[Verbotsgesetz 1947|Verbotsgesetz]]}}, "Prohibition Law").<ref name="BBC 2006-02-20">{{cite news | title=Holocaust denier Irving is jailed | date=20 February 2006 | work=BBC News | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/4733820.stm | access-date=16 June 2009 | archive-date=10 July 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710130050/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4733820.stm | url-status=live }}</ref> Irving sat motionless as judge Peter Liebetreu asked him if he had understood the sentence, to which he replied "I'm not sure I do" before being escorted out of the court by Austrian police. Later, Irving said that he was shocked by the severity of the sentence. He had reportedly already purchased a plane ticket home to London.<ref>{{cite news|last=Connolly|first=Kate|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/austria/1511075/Irving-clutches-Hitler-book-in-court.html|title=Irving clutches Hitler book in court|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=21 February 2006}}</ref>

In December 2006, Irving was released from prison and banned from ever returning to Austria.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2288055,00.html |title=Convicted Holocaust Denier Irving Expelled from Austria |date=22 December 2006 |publisher=Deutsche Welle |access-date=20 September 2009 |archive-date=6 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206173125/http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2288055,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Upon Irving's arrival in the UK he reaffirmed his position, stating that he felt "no need any longer to show remorse" for his Holocaust views.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/12/21/uk.irving.ap/index.html |title=Holocaust denier: 'No need to show remorse' |website=[[CNN]] |access-date=16 January 2007 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070116221731/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/12/21/uk.irving.ap/index.html |archive-date=16 January 2007}}</ref> On 18 May 2007, he was expelled from the 52nd Warsaw International Book Fair in Poland because the books he took there were deemed by the organisers as promoting [[Nazism]] and antisemitism, which is in violation of Polish law.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/18/europe/EU-GEN-Poland-Irving.php |title=British writer David Irving asked to leave Polish book fair |work=International Herald Tribune |date=29 March 2009 |access-date=20 September 2009 |archive-date=20 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070520065853/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/18/europe/EU-GEN-Poland-Irving.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since then, Irving has continued to work as a freelance writer, despite his troubled public image. He was drawn into the controversy surrounding Bishop [[Richard Williamson (bishop)|Richard Williamson]], who in a televised interview recorded in Germany in November 2008 denied the Holocaust took place, only to see Williamson convicted for incitement in April 2010 after refusing to pay a fine of €12,000.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pidd|first=Helen|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/oct/26/british-bishop-holocaust-fine |title=German court fines British bishop for Holocaust claims |work=The Guardian |access-date=10 May 2011|date=26 October 2009|location=London}}</ref><ref name=MSNBC2010>{{cite news|title=British bishop convicted of Holocaust denial: German court fines cleric $13,000 for saying Jews were not gassed to death|date=16 April 2010|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna36595788|access-date=10 May 2011|archive-date=22 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122125651/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/36595788/ns/world_news-europe/t/british-bishop-convicted-holocaust-denial/|url-status=live}}</ref> Irving subsequently found himself beset by protesters on a book tour of the United States.<ref>{{cite news | last = Solomont | first = E. B. | title = Survivors in New York enraged by Holocaust-denier Irving's tour | work = The Jerusalem Post | date = 13 November 2009 | page = 2 |url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1258027279080&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull | access-date = 22 December 2009 | ref = CITEREFjpost2009 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He has also given lectures and tours in the UK and Europe; one tour to Poland in September 2010 which led to particular criticism included the [[Treblinka]] death camp as an itinerary stop.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11381483 |title=Holocaust denier Irving in Poland for Hitler tour |publisher=BBC |date=21 September 2010 |access-date=2 September 2011 |archive-date=23 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923193128/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11381483 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Irving and [[Nick Griffin]] (then the [[British National Party]] leader) were invited to speak at a forum on free speech at the [[Oxford Union]] on 26 November 2007, along with [[Anne Atkins]] and [[Evan Harris]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/7112480.stm |title=Union debate row speakers arrive |date=26 November 2007 |work=BBC News |access-date=16 April 2022 |archive-date=19 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819094726/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/7112480.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The debate took place after Oxford Union members voted in favour of it,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/7110758.stm |title=BNP to speak to Oxford students |access-date=4 December 2007 |work=BBC News |date=24 November 2007 |archive-date=25 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825214508/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/7110758.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> but was disrupted by protesters.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/7114343.stm |title=Angry scenes greet Oxford debate |work=BBC News |date=27 November 2007 |access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref> {{As of|2016}} Irving was lecturing to small audiences at venues disclosed to carefully vetted ticket-holders a day or two before the event on topics, including [[List of conspiracy theories#Antisemitic conspiracy theories|antisemitic conspiracy theories]], and at one such event, claiming to write the truth unlike "conformist" historians while asserting fabrications about leading Nazis,<ref>{{cite web|last=Usborne|first=Simon|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/exclusive-david-irving--the-hate-that-dare-not-speak-its-name-8792411.html|title=Exclusive: David Irving – the hate that dare not speak its name|work=The Independent|date=30 August 2013|access-date=15 January 2017|archive-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925162648/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/exclusive-david-irving--the-hate-that-dare-not-speak-its-name-8792411.html|url-status=live}}</ref> the life and death of Heinrich Himmler and the saturation bombings during World War II.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://irvingbooks.com/xcart/home.php?cat=250|title=David Irving looks back: My fifty years defending Real History against its enemies. An evening with the historian |date=December 2016|access-date=14 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106094302/https://irvingbooks.com/xcart/home.php?cat=250|archive-date=6 January 2017|url-status=dead}} Web site lists new events from time to time.</ref>

Irving established a website selling [[Nazi memorabilia]] in 2009. The items are offered by other people, with Irving receiving a commission from each sale for authenticating them. Irving stated in 2009 that the website was the only way he could make money after being bankrupted in 2002.<ref name="Telegraph Irving sets up Nazi memorabilia website">{{cite news|last1=Moore|first1=Mathew|title=Holocaust denier David Irving sets up Nazi memorabilia website|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4951684/Holocaust-denier-David-Irving-sets-up-Nazi-memorabilia-website.html|access-date=6 February 2016|work=The Telegraph|date=7 March 2009|archive-date=6 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306142903/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4951684/Holocaust-denier-David-Irving-sets-up-Nazi-memorabilia-website.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Items sold through the website include Hitler's walking stick and a lock of Hitler's hair. Irving has also investigated the authenticity of bones purported to be from Hitler and [[Eva Braun]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Preston|first1=Alex|title=The man who sleeps in Hitler's bed|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/24/the-man-who-sleeps-in-hitlers-bed|access-date=6 February 2016|work=The Guardian|date=24 June 2015|archive-date=24 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624160909/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/24/the-man-who-sleeps-in-hitlers-bed|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Denham|first1=Jess|title=Channel 4 criticised for paying Holocaust denier £3,000 for lock of Hitler's hair|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/channel-4-criticised-for-paying-holocaust-denier-3000-for-lock-of-hitlers-hair-9212494.html|access-date=6 February 2016|work=The Independent|date=24 March 2014|archive-date=6 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206191219/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/channel-4-criticised-for-paying-holocaust-denier-3000-for-lock-of-hitlers-hair-9212494.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

During an interview with [[Johann Hari]], Irving said that in the 1970s, [[Erwin Giesing]], one of Hitler's doctors, had quoted Hitler to him thus: "One day, an Englishman will come along and write my biography. But it cannot be an English man of the present generation. They won't to {{sic}} be objective. It will have to be an Englishman of the next generation, and one who is totally familiar with all the German archives." Irving said that Giesing had identified him as the objective Englishman that Hitler had spoken of.<ref name=hari1>{{cite web|title=David Irving: 'Hitler appointed me his biographer'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/david-irving-hitler-appointed-me-his-biographer-1366464.html|newspaper=The Independent|author=Johann Hari|date=15 January 2009}}</ref>

During the same interview, Irving claimed that various Nazis hid what was happening to the Jews from Hitler because he was "the best friend the Jews had in the Third Reich".<ref name=hari1 />

=== 2009 Norwegian Festival of Literature ===
In October 2008, controversy arose in Norway over Irving's invitation to speak at the 2009 [[Norwegian Festival of Literature]]. Several of Norway's most distinguished authors protested against the invitation. The leader of the board for the festival, Jesper Holte, defended the invitation by stating: "Our agenda is to invite a liar and a falsifier of history to a festival about truth. And confront him with this. Irving has been invited to discuss his concept of [[truth]] in light of his activity as a writer of historical books and the many accusations he has been exposed to as a consequence of this." Although Irving was introduced in the festival's webpages as "historian and writer", the board chair leader defended the more aggressive language being used to characterise Irving in connection with the controversy that had arisen. [[Lars Saabye Christensen]] and [[Roy Jacobsen]] were two authors who had threatened to boycott the festival on account of Irving's invitation, and [[Anne B. Ragde]] stated that [[Sigrid Undset]] would have turned in her grave. As the festival has as its subsidiary name "Sigrid Undset Days", a representative of Undset's family had requested that the name of the Nobel laureate be removed in connection with the festival.<ref>{{cite news|first=Geir |last=Rakvaag |title=Irving fortsatt invitert |url=http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/article372935.ece |work=[[Dagsavisen]] |location=Oslo |date=7 October 2008 |access-date=8 October 2008 |language=no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081008174519/http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/article372935.ece |archive-date=8 October 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first= Vibecke |last= Wold Haagensen |title= Irving invitert som løgner |url= http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/hedmark_og_oppland/1.6252043 |publisher= [[NRK]] |location= [[Hedmark]]/[[Oppland]] |date= 7 October 2008 |access-date= 8 October 2008 |language= no |archive-date= 11 October 2008 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081011181030/http://www.nrk.no/nyheter/distrikt/hedmark_og_oppland/1.6252043 |url-status= live }}</ref> Also, the Norwegian [[free speech|free-speech]] organisation [[Fritt Ord (organization)|Fritt Ord]] was critical of letting Irving speak at the festival<ref name="UPI">{{cite news |title=Holocaust denier unwelcome in Norway |url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/10/09/Holocaust_denier_unwelcome_in_Norway/UPI-56301223577740/ |agency=[[United Press International|UPI]] |date=9 October 2008 |access-date=10 October 2008 |archive-date=14 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014141935/http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/10/09/Holocaust_denier_unwelcome_in_Norway/UPI-56301223577740/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and had requested that its logo be removed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Holocaust denial speaker's invitation cancelled |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2704141.ece |work=[[Aftenposten]] |location=Oslo, Norway |date=9 October 2008 |access-date=10 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010220014/http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2704141.ece |archive-date=10 October 2008}}</ref> In addition, [[Edvard Hoem]] announced that he would not attend the 2009 festival with Irving taking part. [[Per Edgar Kokkvold]], leader of the [[Norwegian Press Confederation]], advocated cancelling Irving's invitation.<ref>{{cite news |first= Olav |last= Østrem |title= Sæterbakken slår tilbake |url=http://www.klassekampen.no/55114/article/item/null |work= [[Klassekampen]] |location= Oslo, Norway |date= 9 October 2008 |access-date= 10 October 2008 |language= no |url-status= dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012070848/http://klassekampen.no/55114/article/item/null |archive-date= 12 October 2008}}</ref>

Days after the controversy had started, the invitation was rescinded. This led to the resignation of [[Stig Sæterbakken]] from his position as content director as he was the person who had invited Irving to the event. The head of the Norwegian Festival of Literature, Randi Skeie, deplored what had taken place: "Everything is fine as long as everyone agrees, but things get more difficult when one doesn't like the views being put forward."<ref name="UPI"/> Sæterbakken called his colleagues "damned cowards", arguing that they were walking in lockstep.<ref name="Olsen">{{cite news |first = Geir |last = Olsen |title = Retrett mot David Irving. Irving: – De tør ikke møte meg |url = http://www.vg.no/rampelys/artikkel.php?artid=528392 |work = [[Verdens Gang]] |location = Oslo, Norway |date = 10 October 2008 |access-date = 15 October 2008 |language = no |archive-date = 2 January 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090102051026/http://www.vg.no/rampelys/artikkel.php?artid=528392 |url-status = live }}</ref>

According to editor-in-chief Sven Egil Omdal of {{lang|no|[[Stavanger Aftenblad]]}}, the opposition to Irving's participation at the festival appeared as a concerted effort. He suggested that [[campaign journalism]] from two of Norway's largest newspapers, ''[[Dagbladet]]'' and ''[[Aftenposten]]'', and Norway's public service broadcaster [[NRK]] was behind the controversy.<ref>{{cite news |first= Sven Egil | last = Omdal | title = Ikke fullt så Fritt Ord |url=http://www.aftenbladet.no/debatt/medieblikk/927176/Ikke_fullt_saa_Fritt_Ord.html |work= [[Stavanger Aftenblad]] |location= [[Stavanger]], Norway | date = 11 October 2008 | access-date = 15 October 2008 | language = no |url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090127051552/http://www.aftenbladet.no/debatt/medieblikk/927176/Ikke_fullt_saa_Fritt_Ord.html | archive-date = 27 January 2009}}</ref>

David Irving commented that he had not been told that the festival was going to present him as a liar,<ref name="Olsen"/> and that he was preparing a lecture about the real history of what took place in [[Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany|Norway during World War II]], contrary to what official historians have presented. Irving stated that he had thought the Norwegian people to be "made of tougher stuff."<ref>{{cite news |first= Ann |last= Christiansen |title= Irving: – Utsatt for global kampanje |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article2703646.ece |work= [[Aftenposten]] |location= Oslo, Norway |date= 9 October 2008 |access-date= 15 October 2008 |language= no |url-status= dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012211137/http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article2703646.ece |archive-date= 12 October 2008}}</ref>

Only days after the cancellation Irving announced that he would go to Lillehammer during the literature festival and deliver his two-hour lecture from a hotel room.<ref>{{cite news |first= Andreas |last= Wiese |title= David Irving rir igjen |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2008/10/15/550314.html |work= [[Dagbladet]] |location= Oslo, Norway |date= 15 October 2008 |access-date= 15 October 2008 |language= no |url-status= dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017085639/http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2008/10/15/550314.html |archive-date= 17 October 2008}}</ref>