Very serious lapse in review of Holocaust denier's book

I was shocked by the fact that a newspaper I write for has given space to a book by a holocaust denier, Nick Kollerstrom.

Just seen this excellent letter in the Star criticising this major lapse.

Very serious lapse in review of Holocaust denier's book

The decision to publish a review of the book by Nicholas Kollerstrom on the attacks in London on July 7 2005 (August 3) must count as one of the most serious lapses of editorial judgement our paper has ever made.

Certainly, I am sure the Star has never previously recommended a book written by a Holocaust denier, who claims that Jews could not have been killed in the main gas chamber at Auschwitz and that they were actually spending their time lounging around a swimming pool on the site.

The review should at least have advised readers that Kollerstrom was stripped of his research fellowship by University College London for expressing these rancid opinions.

Almost as serious is the Star giving house room to deranged conspiracy theories about July 7 2005 or September 11 2001.

It is one thing to argue that the British foreign invasion of Iraq played the major part in driving four deluded young men to commit a dreadful act of terrorism. It is quite another to suggest that the British government instigated these acts themselves.

Not only is there nothing approximating to evidence for this, it is also the case that those propagating such theories generally do so in an anti-semitic context.

There could be no quicker route to political marginalisation for the anti-war movement than to pander to the ravings of lunatics and racists.

In this case, I believe the Star owes its readers an apology and a commitment to tighten up on its book reviewers.

ANDREW MURRAY
London