Trevor-Roper, the 'Hitler Diaries' historian, dies at 89

Lord Dacre of Glanton, the historian who as Hugh Trevor-Roper authenticated the fake "Hitler Diaries", has died.

He died aged 89 yesterday morning at Sobell House, a hospice in Oxford, where he had been suffering from cancer.

Lord Dacre, Regius Professor of Modern History and a fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, between 1957 and 1980, was a noted historian until his reputation suffered a blow when he authenticated the diaries in a preview of the serialisation for The Times, despite the fact that doubts had already been expressed about them.

Sixty volumes were to be serialised in The Sunday Times and Germany's Stern magazine. They were authenticated by Lord Dacre in The Times before their publication.

However, they were exposed as a fake and the work of a forger, Konrad Kujau, from Stuttgart, and the serialisation was abandoned. Kujau, who accepted millions of pounds from the two newspapers for the forgeries, was jailed for four and a half years for his role in duping them.

Gerd Heidemann, a journalist who acted as an intermediary between the forger and the media, was also also sent to prison for his part in the hoax.

Before the episode, Lord Dacre had established a reputation for himself as a prolific historian and an expert on the Second World War and the Nazi period. His books included The Last Days of Hitler, Hitler's Table Talk, The Philby Affair and the Goebbels Diaries.

Born on 15 January,1914, he was educated at Charterhouse school and Christ Church, Oxford. After his 33 years as Regius Professor of modern history, he became Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, until 1987. He was also a director of Times Newspapers between 1974 and 1988.