Writ-shy decision

I'm not surprised that Andrew Franklin should want to dissociate himself from the rejection letter to which he referred (Letter, THES , July 12). But as managing director of Profile Books, he should accept responsibility for its contents.

He does not deny that it mentioned the "tiny kernel of doubt" that Profile thought remained about the ability of my book Telling Lies about Hitler to withstand a libel writ. But if it was not a reason for rejecting the book, why mention it?

Mr Franklin says he turned it down for commercial reasons, but the book, published by Verso, is selling very well.

Richard J. Evans
History faculty
Cambridge University