“ On the evidence of the contents of the book itself, I accept that it does indeed represent a deliberate attack on Irving, mounted in order to discredit him as an historian and so to undermine any credence which might otherwise be given to his denials of the Holocaust. That is a factor which is to be taken into account, if the issue of damages arises. Beyond that finding, however, I do not consider that Irving’s claim to have been the victim of a conspiracy in which both Defendants were implicated is established by the evidence placed before me. ”

“ Irving’s case on damages
3.2 Irving contends that Lipstadt in Denying the Holocaust makes an attack not only upon his competence as an historian but also upon his motivation. As I have already found, the book accuses Irving, amongst other things, of deliberate perversion of the historical evidence. I readily accept that, to any serious historian, his or her integrity is vital. That is no doubt why, in his evidence, Irving said that for him his reputation as a truth-seeking historian is more important than anything else. ”

“ Although Irving at one stage disputed the point, it was reasonably clear that the “traditional enemies” were the members of the Jewish community. His claim is that he is the victim of an international Jewish conspiracy determined to silence him. Irving’s argument was supported, in general terms, by Professor Macdonald (whom I shall describe later) but the assistance which I derived from his evidence was limited. ”