Nicholas Davies (journalist)

Nicholas Davies
Occupation	Journalist, writer
Nationality	British
Period	1961-present
Genre	Journalism, Biography
Notable works	Diana : a princess and her troubled marriage (1992) Death of a Tycoon (1993) Dead Men Talking (2003)
Spouse	Unknown first wife (divorced) Janet Fielding (1982-1991) (divorced)

Nicholas Davies, also known as Nick Davies, is a journalist and author, formerly foreign editor of 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.

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 until he was sacked by Maxwell in 1991 at the age of 52. Davies later went on to publish stories of working with Maxwell, 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. 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.

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.

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. Ben-Menashe also claimed Davies was a "major player" in arms sales to Iran and made more than $1.5 million on one deal.

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