David Irving's research into Winston Churchill's life and actions is a significant ongoing project, documented extensively in his diaries and emails. This research often involves challenging mainstream historical narratives and utilizing private papers and diaries to uncover new information. The focus is on presenting a perspective Irving believes is absent from conventional biographies.
Irving's Churchill biography project appears to be a multi-volume undertaking, with Volume III currently under development (2023-2024). He emphasizes the importance of thorough research and a desire to understand "wie es eigentlich gewesen" (how it actually was), drawing inspiration from Leopold von Ranke (2017). The research process involves questioning established "facts" and recognizing potential political agendas influencing historical accounts (2017).
* 2017: Irving began studying history at KU Leuven, Belgium, motivated by a desire to understand historical events accurately. * 2021: Irving was working on a volume II of a biography, potentially "Himmler's War," and considering questions for authors of biographies, including inquiries about archives consulted, "firsts" discovered, and differences from mainstream accounts (2021). * 2023-2024: Irving is working on Volume III of his Winston Churchill biography, which has taken longer than anticipated and revealed "discomforting new facts" related to the Tehran, Yalta, and Potsdam conferences (2023-2024). He is utilizing private papers and diaries. * 2023: Irving was asked for biography recommendations (2023). * 2015: Irving discussed his team of historians, including Churchill, as "outsiders" (2015).
The research initially focused on Himmler biographies, critiquing their lack of perspective and context (2021). Later, the focus shifted to Churchill, with a growing emphasis on challenging established narratives and utilizing previously unreleased documents (2023-2024). The tone has consistently emphasized a desire to uncover a more accurate and complete picture of historical events.
* Himmler biography research * Historical methodology * Veritas Publishing