David John Cawdell Irving (born March 24, 1938, in Hutton, Essex, England) is a British author and historian specializing in the military and political history of the Second World War, particularly Nazi Germany. He began his career as a journalist and essayist, producing biographies and works on Adolf Hitler and other Nazi figures. Initially respected in some circles for his research, his reputation shifted due to increasingly revisionist interpretations of history. He became infamous as a Holocaust denier and Nazi apologist, promoting views that minimized or denied the systematic extermination of Jews during the war. His books, such as 'Hitler's War' (1977), presented controversial arguments that Hitler was unaware of the Holocaust, drawing widespread criticism from historians and academics. In 2000, his views were legally scrutinized when he sued American historian Deborah Lipstadt and her publisher for libel over claims that he was a Holocaust denier. The British court ruled against him, declaring Irving an active Holocaust denier, antisemite, and falsifier of history. This case marked a significant downfall, leading to his discreditation in academic and publishing circles. Irving has continued to speak at far-right events and maintain his positions, though his influence has waned.