A detailed analysis of the phenomenon of Holocaust denial, which originated in the myth of the Jewish conspiracy and radical anti-Jewish propaganda. Examines the activities and writings of Holocaust deniers in France (P. Rassinier, R. Faurisson), in the USA (H.E. Barnes, D.L. Hoggan, A.J. App, A. Butz, W.A. Carto, F. Leuchter), and in Great Britain (R.E. Harwood, D. Irving). Focuses on the propagandistic use of Holocaust denial by radical right and neo-Nazi groups, the activities of the Institute for Historical Review (IHR), and the penetration of Holocaust denial propaganda in American campuses. Describes the trials of Ernst Zundel in Canada, and the Mermelstein suit against the IHR. Mentions relativization of the Holocaust in the "historians' debate" in Germany. An appendix (pp. 223-235) deals with Holocaust deniers' allegations regarding the use of Zyklon B in Auschwitz, and the authenticity of the diary of Anne Frank.

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

Surveys Holocaust denial activities and publications around the world, with a separate chapter on the United States (pp. 10-24), referring to the penetration of Holocaust denial propaganda in American universities and in the media. Focuses on concrete ways of refuting specific claims made by the deniers. The four appendices (pp. 100-152) include propagandistic material published by Bradley R. Smith (from the Institute for Historical Review), a transcript of a TV talk show on Holocaust denial (30 April 1992), a list of Holocaust-denying books and pamphlets (only author and title given), and articles from the "Journal of Historical Review."

"David Stein brought right-wing congressmen, celebrities, writers and entertainment industry figures together for shindigs, closed to outsiders. . . . There was just one problem. Stein was not who he claimed."-- The Guardian "I disagreed with lots of the book and found the depiction of some people to be cruel, but no denying it was also funny, intriguing and eye-opening." --Rory Carroll Author Comandante: Hugo Chavez's Venezuela , reporter for The Guardian In 2013, Republican "hero" David Stein made international headlines when he was unmasked as David Cole, the notorious Jewish Holocaust denier who made an entirely different set of headlines in the 1990s with his videos from within the gates of Auschwitz and his appearances on shows like 60 Minutes and Donahue . After a $25,000 bounty was put on his head by a violent extremist group, Cole left behind the bizarre world of Holocaust revisionism, a landscape populated by Hitler fetishists who Cole himself detested. Then, David Stein the Republican organizer was born. Stein soon became a major force in the closed-door world of Hollywood right-wingers--people who felt as alienated from the mainstream of their profession as Cole had felt as the lone Jewish Holocaust revisionist. Soon enough, Stein was working with major GOP power players and far-right Hollywood A-listers, creating huge private events for the West Coast GOP elite . . . until it all came crashing down when a vengeful former girlfriend outed him publicly. Condemned by those who had previously lauded him, Cole was left with nothing but his story. And here he tells it, warts and all, including the first-ever exposé of the secretive Hollywood far-right underground, "Friends of Abe."

A collection of 15 essays, most of which were published between 1980-90. The following deal with antisemitism and the Holocaust:

"Holocaust denial can be viewed as another form of hatred against Jews and restricting it can be understood as a way of preventing hate speech. Germany has made it a crime punishable by law. Other European countries have adopted similar laws. While the rationales for criminalizing speech seems reasonable, Lewy asks readers to look again and to consider carefully the dangers of doing so. His discussion neither dismisses the ramifications of genocide denial nor justifies it; he instead looks closely at the possible risks of government-enforced interpretations of history. By outlawing genocide denial, governments set a precedent for dictating historical 'truth' and how events should be interpreted. Such government restrictions can be counterproductive in a democratic society that values freedom of speech. Lewy examines these and related ideas through the analysis of historical and current examples."--Publisher's Web site.