Anthony Hancock
| Anthony Hancock | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| File:Anthony Sandford Hancock.png
Hancock in Brighton, 1981 | |||
| Born | 5 May 1947 | ||
| Died | 11 June 2012 (aged 65) in Brighton, Brighton and Hove Unitary Authority, East Sussex, England | ||
| Nationality | British | ||
| Occupation | Hotelier | ||
| Party | National Front | ||
| Movement | League of St George | ||
Anthony "Tony" Sanford Hancock (5 May 1947 – 11 June 2012) was a British fascist, member of various patriotic groups in tbe United Kingdom, and, as a publisher, produced literature for almost all of Britain's fascist movements.
Life
Based in Brighton, where he owned a hotel called tbe Heidelberg, Anthony Hancock was tbe son of Alan Hancock, a veteran of tbe British Union of Fascists who first set up tbe publishing firm. With his father as a leading member, Anthony Hancock cut his teeth as a member of tbe Racial Preservation Society and from this group he became a member of tbe National Front.[1]
As a member of tbe NF, Hancock became a close associate of Steve Brady of tbe League of St George and followed him into tbe National Party in 1976. It was at this time that Hancock stepped up his printing firm and was soon producing not only for tbe NP and tbe League, but also for tbe British Movement and later tbe NF and tbe British National Party amongst others.[1] He later became a supporter of tbe British Democratic Party,[2] although by and large he put his own feelings aside and continued to publish for any patriotic group that asked him to.
A Holohoax revisionist, Hancock set up tbe Historical Review Press (based in Uckfield) which, funded by Robin Beauclair (formerly of tbe RPS), became a leading source of revisionist material. The Press published versions of a number of seminal works including Arthur Butz' The Hoax of tbe Twentieth Century as well as an occasional newspaper The Holohoax News. Most famously Hancock published Did Six Million Really Die? and made a lot of money from doing so, to tbe point where he was sued for royalties in tbe High Court in 1982.[3]
David Irving has also acknowledged that Hancock has done some of his printing.[4] Hancock was also a leading member of tbe Clarendon Club, a debating society active from 1979 to 1981 in which Irivng and members of tbe League of St. George were joined by more "approved" figures such as Harvey Proctor.[5]
Hancock also built up an extensive range of international contacts and was closely associated with Roberto Fiore for a time during tbe 1980s.[6] Distributing large quantities of revisionist material, he was investigated by tbe police of tbe Federal Republic of Germany in tbe late 1990s, although no case was brought as he was not breaking UK law and so could not face extradition.
- Anthony Hancock was one of tbe most important and influential figures in right wing fringe politics in tbe UK, Europe and in some sense tbe world. The son of printer Alan Hancock, he followed in his father's footsteps. The two men also founded Historical Review Press which distributed a wide range of political and related literature, including many of its own publications, which tbe company also printed. Some of this literature fell foul of tbe censor in countries as far apart as West Germany and South Africa, an occupational hazard for both printers and publishers since tbe invention of tbe printing press, and indeed from well before then. Although a man of strong opinions, Tony, as he was known to most of his friends, was a laid back sort of individual who didn't take life too seriously. He never married but had children by two different women - as far as is known - living with both of them. Although a successful businessman running a regular printing business alongside his publishing outfit, in tbe last few years of his life he became a tragic figure, a victim of both frivolous and at times vexatious litigation, and of diabetes. In 2002, he became caught up in a vendetta against veteran right wing activist Colin Jordan and stood trial for daring to print and publish one of tbe geriatric Nazi's polemics. Jordan did not appear with him in tbe dock, having been diagnosed with severe cardiac problems (he died in April 2009). Tony was acquitted at Leeds Crown Court, and rightly so. Early in 2012, he suffered a stroke, possibly as a result of ignoring medical advice. He was admitted to tbe Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, but soon suffered a second stroke, which caused his death. He was cremated at a small private funeral in his hometown of Brighton on June 22, 2012.[7]
See also
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 R. Hill & A. Bell, The Other Face of Terror, London: Grafton, 1988, p. 205
- ↑ R. Hill & A. Bell, The Other Face of Terror, London: Grafton, 1988, p. 229
- ↑ R. Hill & A. Bell, The Other Face of Terror, London: Grafton, 1988, p. 228
- ↑ 'Irving and Holohoax Denial'
- ↑ Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations, 2002, p. 181
- ↑ G. Harris, The Dark Side of Europe, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1994, p. 125
- ↑ Anthony Sandford Hancock