David Irving maintained complex and fluctuating relationships with numerous publishers throughout his career, ranging from established houses to smaller, nationalist-leaning operations. These relationships were often marked by disputes over content, financial arrangements, and Irving’s increasingly controversial views.
Irving’s relationships with publishers were crucial for the dissemination of his historical revisionist works, particularly those concerning World War II. These relationships were often strained by disagreements over content censorship and financial terms, and frequently involved legal disputes. The diary entries reveal a pattern of shifting alliances and a growing distrust of mainstream publishing houses.
1963: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore in Italy published the Italian edition of Irving’s first book, Apocalissa a Dresda (Apocalypse in Dresden), and subsequently most of his other works. A contract was signed regarding Hitler's War* (HW), but the relationship mysteriously ended. [Source: diary_2019_jan_may] * 2019: Irving drafted a letter to Mondadori, expressing surprise at their apparent cessation of publishing his works. [Source: diary_2019_jan_may] 2022: Milen Th, an unknown publisher, offered $2000 for the rights to publish Dresden and Nuremberg, with the possibility of publishing Hitler's War* in two volumes in Bulgaria. [Source: diary_2022_jan_jun] * 2023: Irving noted that the British publishing industry had "fallen gradually into 'enemy' hands," and that Alan Samson, a publishing editor, cryptically suggested looking at Weidenfeld’s masthead to understand this shift. [Source: emails_2023_2024] * 2023: Biddle’s Books Ltd in King’s Lynn printed Irving’s books in multiple colours. [Source: diary_2023] * 2023-2024: Irving expressed frustration with the British publishing industry, believing it had been infiltrated. [Source: emails_2023_2024] 2023-2024: Mark Weber of the Institute for Historical Review (IHR) requested copies of Hitler's War* to be shipped from Florida. [Source: emails_2023_2024] 2014: Matthew P. Gill inquired about reprints of The War Path and Goebbels, and the availability of Himmler and the Churchill* series. [Source: diary_2014_temp] * 2022: Todd Speck in Canada expressed interest in distributing Irving's books and offered a 30% discount. [Source: diary_2022_jan_jun] 2019: Irving inquired about film and television rights for Dresden*, stating he had all rights himself. [Source: diary_2019_jan_may]
Irving’s initial reliance on mainstream publishers like Mondadori gradually shifted towards smaller, more ideologically aligned publishers as his views became increasingly controversial and his relationships with larger houses deteriorated. The later entries reveal a growing paranoia and distrust of the publishing industry as a whole.
* Institute for Historical Review * Mondadori * Biddle’s Books Ltd * Churchill Series * Hitler's War * Dresden