Anthony Hancock (publisher)
Encyclopedia
Anthony Hancock has been a member of various far right
groups in the United Kingdom
and, as a publisher
, has produced literature for almost all of Britain's right-wing extremists.
Based in Brighton
, where he owned a hotel called the Heidelberg, Anthony Hancock is the son of Alan Hancock
, a veteran of the British Union of Fascists
who first set up the publishing firm. With his father as a leading member, Anthony Hancock cut his teeth as a member of the Racial Preservation Society
and from this group he became a member of the National Front
.
As a member of the NF, Hancock became a close associate of Steve Brady of the League of St George and followed him into the National Party
in 1976. It was at this time that Hancock stepped up his printing firm and was soon producing not only for the NP and the League, but also for the British Movement
and later the NF and the British National Party
amongst others. He later became a supporter of the British Democratic Party
, although by and large he put his own feelings aside and continued to publish for any far right group that asked him to.
A devotee of Holocaust Denial
, Hancock set up the Historical Review Press (based in Uckfield
) which, funded by Robin Beauclair (formerly of the RPS), became the leading source of Holocaust denying material in Britain. The Press published versions of a number of seminal works including Arthur Butz
' The Hoax of the Twentieth Century
as well as an occasional newspaper The Holocaust News. Most famously Hancock published Did Six Million Really Die?
and made a lot of money from doing so, to the point where he was sued for royalties in the High Court in 1982. David Irving
has also acknowledged that Hancock has done some of his printing, although it has been alleged that the relationship is much deeper and that the two have worked together on Holocaust denial seminars. Hancock was also a leading member of the Clarendon Club, a debating society active from 1979 to 1981 in which Irivng and members of the League of St. George were joined by more mainstream figures such as Harvey Proctor
.
Hancock also built up an extensive range of international contacts and was closely associated with Roberto Fiore
for a time during the 1980s. Distributing large quantities of Holocaust denial material in Germany
, he was investigated by the German police in the late 1990s, although no case was brought as he was not breaking UK law and so could not face extradition
.
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
groups in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and, as a publisher
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
, has produced literature for almost all of Britain's right-wing extremists.
Based in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, where he owned a hotel called the Heidelberg, Anthony Hancock is the son of Alan Hancock
Alan Hancock
Alan Vivien Hancock was one of the early leaders of the Racial Preservation Society . He was formerly a member of the British Union of Fascists which was formed in 1932 by ex-Labour government minister Sir Oswald Mosley and was a union of several small, extreme nationalist parties...
, a veteran of the British Union of Fascists
British Union of Fascists
The British Union was a political party in the United Kingdom formed in 1932 by Sir Oswald Mosley as the British Union of Fascists, in 1936 it changed its name to the British Union of Fascists and National Socialists and then in 1937 to simply the British Union...
who first set up the publishing firm. With his father as a leading member, Anthony Hancock cut his teeth as a member of the Racial Preservation Society
Racial Preservation Society
The Racial Preservation Society was a right-wing pressure group opposed to immigration and in favour of white nationalism, national preservation and protection in the United Kingdom in the 1960s.-Background:...
and from this group he became a member of the National Front
British National Front
The National Front is a far right, white-only political party whose major political activities took place during the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes ....
.
As a member of the NF, Hancock became a close associate of Steve Brady of the League of St George and followed him into the National Party
National Party (UK, 1976)
The National Party was a short-lived British far right political party formed on 6 January 1976 and which dissolved before the 1979 general election...
in 1976. It was at this time that Hancock stepped up his printing firm and was soon producing not only for the NP and the League, but also for the British Movement
British Movement
The British Movement , later called the British National Socialist Movement , is a British neo-Nazi organisation founded by Colin Jordan in 1968. It grew out of the National Socialist Movement , which was founded in 1962...
and later the NF and the British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
amongst others. He later became a supporter of the British Democratic Party
British Democratic Party
The British Democratic Party was a short-lived far-right political party in the United Kingdom. A breakaway group from the National Front the BDP was severely damaged after it became involved in a gun-running sting and was absorbed by the British National Party.-Formation and naming...
, although by and large he put his own feelings aside and continued to publish for any far right group that asked him to.
A devotee of Holocaust Denial
Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
, Hancock set up the Historical Review Press (based in Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
) which, funded by Robin Beauclair (formerly of the RPS), became the leading source of Holocaust denying material in Britain. The Press published versions of a number of seminal works including Arthur Butz
Arthur Butz
Arthur R. Butz is a Holocaust denier and associate professor of electrical engineering at Northwestern University. He achieved tenure in 1974 and currently teaches classes in control system theory and digital signal processing.-Education:...
' The Hoax of the Twentieth Century
The Hoax of the Twentieth Century
The Hoax of the Twentieth Century: The Case Against the Presumed Extermination of European Jewry is a book by electrical engineering professor Arthur Butz. First published in 1976 by Historical Review Press, it denied that Nazi Germany tried to exterminate the Jews during the Holocaust, and was...
as well as an occasional newspaper The Holocaust News. Most famously Hancock published Did Six Million Really Die?
Did Six Million Really Die?
Did Six Million Really Die? is a Holocaust denial booklet written by British National Front member Richard Verrall, under the name Richard E. Harwood, and published by Ernst Zündel in 1974...
and made a lot of money from doing so, to the point where he was sued for royalties in the High Court in 1982. David Irving
David Irving
David John Cawdell Irving is an English writer,best known for his denial of the Holocaust, who specialises in the military and political history of World War II, with a focus on Nazi Germany...
has also acknowledged that Hancock has done some of his printing, although it has been alleged that the relationship is much deeper and that the two have worked together on Holocaust denial seminars. Hancock was also a leading member of the Clarendon Club, a debating society active from 1979 to 1981 in which Irivng and members of the League of St. George were joined by more mainstream figures such as Harvey Proctor
Harvey Proctor
Harvey Proctor was a British Conservative Member of Parliament. He represented Basildon from 1979 to 1983 and Billericay from 1983 to 1987. Proctor became known for his right-wing views and for the manner in which scandal forced the end of his Parliamentary career.- Background :Proctor's father...
.
Hancock also built up an extensive range of international contacts and was closely associated with Roberto Fiore
Roberto Fiore
Roberto Fiore is an Italian nationalist politician and a founding member of the European third position movement which is against both communism and capitalism...
for a time during the 1980s. Distributing large quantities of Holocaust denial material in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, he was investigated by the German police in the late 1990s, although no case was brought as he was not breaking UK law and so could not face extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
.