History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier

Description

In her acclaimed 1993 book Denying the Holocaust, Deborah Lipstadt called putative WWII historian David Irving "one of the most dangerous spokespersons for Holocaust denial." A prolific author of books on Nazi Germany who has claimed that more people died in Ted Kennedy's car at Chappaquiddick than in the gas chambers at Auschwitz, Irving responded by filing a libel lawsuit in the United Kingdom -- where the burden of proof lies on the defendant, not on the plaintiff. At stake were not only the reputations of two historians but the record of history itself.

Deborah E. Lipstadt is Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies and director of the Institute for Jewish Studies at Emory University. She is the author of Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory.

"A fascinating and meritorious work of legal-and moral-history." -- Kirkus Reviews (Starred) "Powerful... No one who cares about historical truth, freedom of speech or the Holocaust will avoid a sense of triumph." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Lipstadt gives a detailed account of the trial that never loses its suspense, readability or momentum. Or humor." -- Salon.com "Fascinating... [Lipstadt] takes us into the moment and produces a courtroom drama as enthralling as any fictional one." -- San Jose Mercury News "Deborah Lipstadt is writing for us. And for the ages." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution "History on Trial is not the first book about the case...But Lipstadt's story is more personal, compelling and intriguing." -- San Francisco Chronicle "A well-paced, expertly detailed and fascinating account of the trial process." -- Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, Washington Post Book World "Immensely readable... History on Trial restores one's faith in the power of good scholarship." -- Washington Times "A compelling book, History on Trial is memoir and courtroom drama, a work of historical and legal import. " -- Jewish Week "Resonant." -- Baltimore Sun "Compelling... Lipstadt's vigorous account is a window into a Jewish community still grappling with the loss of 6 million souls." -- Newsweek International