Product Description

In this account, Gordon Thomas and Martin Dillon reveal the secret plot to assassinate one of the world's most powerful businessmen. This is the story of Robert Maxwell's execution - the motivation, the planning and the events of that cold night at sea when he met his fate.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #284006 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Review
The death of the controversial newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell provided material for one of the great conspiracy theories of the late 20th century. It seemed impossible that the ageing tycoon, overweight and unfit, could have tumbled over the high railings of his yacht, the Lady Ghislaine. Not only were the complex finances of his vast global empire about to come tumbling down, but there was also the small matter of Maxwell's decades-long involvement with Mossad, Israel's feared secret service. There has been much rumour and innuendo over exactly how far Maxwell's involvement went. He was never slow in publicising the part he played in international politics, enabling thousands of Eastern European Jews to emigrate to Israel, but Thomas and Dillon have traced Maxwell's meetings with specific individuals at specific places to show exactly how deep in he was. Just like the far-fetched plot of a spy thriller, we learn about a software programme stolen by Israel and then modified to include a 'trapdoor' so that the users could be spied on which, through one of Maxwell's subsidiary companies, was then sold to intelligence agencies all over the world, who went on to use the software, without realizing that Israel's secret service was monitoring their every move. Because of his high-level dealings with heads of government, and the ease with which he was able to move between countries, even those behind the Iron Curtain, the tycoon was privy to all kinds of sensitive information. But when his empire began to crumble, he became vulnerable. The millions of pounds that were moving around his impenetrable network of companies had come, in part, from sources whose legitimacy was questionable, and his behaviour, always volatile, had become erratic and unpredictable. Mossad therefore took the decision to assassinate him to protect themselves. You will finish reading this tightly written and well researched book with the sense that, whatever the verdict of the courts on Robert Maxwell's death, the true story has yet to be revealed. (Kirkus UK)

Customer Reviews

Investigative journalism at its best!
To quote a line from the Notes & Documents section - "I had no illusions about his character but I had an admiration for his success ...". Finally, a book that sets out not to cast further criticism over Maxwell's international dealings (in my opinion, this is left to the reader) but to set the record straight. Taking the authors at their word, the book appears to have been extensively and authoratively researched. Maxwell, a fascinating character from modern history deserves to be remembered for his unrelenting support of Israel, for his ability to construct one of the most world's most far reaching and tangled business empires, but also for his humanity and the mistakes that so many of us are capable of making from time to time. I hope this becomes one of the authoritative studies into Maxwell's history. Anyone with an interest in international business, the break up of the FSU and the intertwined roles of intelligence and commerce should buy this. You will not be disappointed. On a final note, for me, the character and strength of Betty Maxwell will stand out forever.

Things I did not know
This is a truely gripping book, it gives a good insight into Maxwells ego and his search for power and megawealth, and his eventual downfall together with his involvement with the East European Mafia.
Well written and once you start its hard to put down.

Officially sanctioned disinformation
Like any documentary seeking the mantle of 'The 'Definitive Untold Story' there is a wealth of good solid factual information about Maxwell's personality, business dealings and his dangerous relationships with various security services. But, make no mistake, if neither accident nor suicide make convincing 'for public consumption' verdicts on his death (and of course they don't), then the central allegation of this book - that he was assassinated by Mossad - is the verdict that Britain's own security service, MI6, are happy (at the very least) not to obstruct or deny.

Why? - damage limitation. It is as good a way as any of both muddying the waters and diverting attention from substantial evidence that it was in fact MI6 who had Maxwell killed. A book review is not the place to marshall such evidence but careful Googling of 'Georgi Markov + Mercia MacDermott', together the rhetorical question "which security service do the surviving Maxwells really fear?" should lead you to place this book in its proper category - 'expert, officially sanctioned disinformation'.