The author Clifford Irving, who has died aged 87, was best known for writing what became the most famous unpublished book of the 20th century, The Autobiography of Howard Hughes. As the son of a cartoonist, Irving possessed some draughtsmanship skills and he composed the alleged letter from some authentic writing in Hughes’s own hand. Born in Manhattan, New York, Clifford was the son of Jay Irving, born Irving Joel Raefsky, a cartoonist and illustrator, and his wife, Dorothy. They divorced, and in 1967 Irving married Edith. • Clifford Michael Irving, author, born 5 November 1930; died 19 December 2017

Source: The Guardian December 21, 2017 18:11 UTC