Nicholas Davies
| Nicholas Davies | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Journalist, writer |
| Nationality | British |
| Period | 1961-present |
| Genres | Journalism, Biography |
| Notable work(s) |
Diana : a princess and her troubled marriage (1992) Death of a Tycoon (1993) Dead Men Talking (2003) |
| Spouse(s) |
Unknown first wife (divorced) Janet Fielding (1982-1991) (divorced) |
Nicholas Davies, also known as Nick Davies, is a journalist and author, formerly foreign editor at the Daily Mirror. He was closely associated with Robert Maxwell, and was the centre of considerable UK media attention in 1991 after he was accused in Seymour Hersh's book The Samson Option of involvement in Israeli arms deals and of passing the location of Mordechai Vanunu to Mossad. In response, Maxwell and Davies sued for libel, although Davies did not pursue the case and Mirror Group apologised and settled on behalf of Maxwell after his death.
Career
Davies began his career with the Birmingham Post and Mail, and joined Mirror Group Newspapers in 1961 as a foreign correspondent and investigative reporter. He served as foreign editor of the Daily Mirror for 14 years[1] until he was sacked by Maxwell in 1991[2] at the age of 52.[3] Davies later went on to publish stories of working with Maxwell,[4] as well as books about the British Royal Family and Northern Ireland.
Davies was first in the mass media to identify the victim of the 2007 royal blackmail plot, despite a court order preventing naming in the UK.[5][6]
He was referred to as "Kite" by satirical magazine Private Eye because his stories were supposed to be "fliers". He has been confused with another British journalist of the same name when they were working in the same building.[7]
He wrote a book on Maxwell entitled: Death of a Tycoon: An Insider's Account of the Rise and Fall of Robert Maxwell. In it he speculated that Maxwell had been killed and suggested some unlikely culprits. He also detailed his own affair with Maxwell's secretary in his book The Unknown Maxwell.
Controversy
Davies was named by Ari Ben-Menashe as his business partner in Profits of War, in relation to Iran-Contra and the sale of PROMIS, the first computer spyware. The arrangement was also noted in the book Robert Maxwell, Israel's Superspy: The Life and Murder of a Media Mogul by Gordon Thomas. Ben-Menashe later posted seven documents relating to sales of arms by Davies, sometimes signing himself as Davis.[8]
Personal life
Davies's second wife was the actress Janet Fielding. They divorced in 1991. Davies lived in Brighton in 1993.
In a 1992 article for the Washington Post, Christopher Hitchens describes Davies as a "polo-playing friend of Prince Charles".[9]
There are some details of his personal life in his books: The Unknown Maxwell [10] and Death of a Tycoon: An Insider's Account of the Rise and Fall of Robert Maxwell.[11]
Bibliography
- The unknown Maxwell : his astonishing secret lives revealed by his aide and close companion (1992), Sidgwick & Jackson.
- Death of a Tycoon (1992), ISBN 978-0-312-09249-8
- Diana : a princess and her troubled marriage (1992), Birch Lane Press, ISBN 1-55972-156-1
- Queen Elizabeth II (1994)
- Roll of the dice (1996), Darius Guppy with Nicholas Davies
- Dead men talking (2003)
- Diana : the Killing of a Princess (2006)
References
- ↑ Davies, Nick (1993). Death of a tycoon. St Martins Press. p. 346. ISBN 978-0-312-09249-8.
- ↑ David Sharrock and Georgina Henry (6 November 1991). "Maxwell's body found in sea". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
- ↑ William Tuohy (October 25, 1991). "'Mirrorgate': A Press Empire Strikes Back - Scandal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
- ↑ Sandra Barwick (25 October 1994). "The beast and his beauties". The Independent. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
- ↑ Julia May (1 November 2007). "Queen's nephew 'victim' of blackmail". The Age. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
- ↑ "'Sex and drugs' blackmail plot royal: I'm innocent". Mail Online. 31 October 2007. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
- ↑ Nick Davies (October 1991). "Somebody is making a mess of my name". The Guardian.
- ↑ http://www.american-buddha.com/lit.profitswar.app.htm
- ↑ Hitchens, Christopher (1993). For the sake of argument. Verso. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-86091-435-8.
- ↑ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0qtscobrqzoC&q=Unknown+Maxwell&dq=Unknown+Maxwell&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZdnVUc2DGIua0AW-1oGYCg&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA
- ↑ http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=32_gAAAAMAAJ&dq=Death+of+a+Tycoon:+An+Insider's+Account+of+the+Rise+and+Fall+of+Robert+Maxwell&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UNjVUeKMEo7w0gXtk4HYDg&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA