Eleanor Berry's new novel is due to be released in April. Here we see the benevolent, unknown side of Robert Maxwell. He was a surrogate father to Eleanor on a platonic basis. He saved her life by charging into an operating theatre (not scrubbed up) and shouting, “Turn that f**king machine off!” He was referring to the deadly E.C.T. (electro-convulsive therapy), now banned, which she did not need.
Maxwell was always kind and generous to Eleanor although he and her father, Michael, who owned The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, were very jealous of each other. Eleanor is proud to have been his friend.
It was Eleanor’s late brother, Nicky, who introduced her to Bob in the late 60s. Nicky was the Financial Correspondent on The Daily Telegraph and had worked with Bob so they had become friends. Nicky was invited to a birthday party at Robert Maxwell’s Oxford house, Headington Hall and Eleanor went along with him. After a night of chatting and dancing, Eleanor spent lots of time with Robert and his wife, Betty, over the years.
The gutter press have only informed us about Maxwell’s faults. Shortage of oxygen to his brain in later life destroyed his thinking processes and caused him to be somewhat autocratic and irritable. It was then that the Mirror pension funds ‘scandal’ took place. He was no longer capable and it was thought to be the bankers who transferred the funds, adversely affecting the pensioners.
Due to his impoverished childhood, and the murder of most of his family members by the Nazis, Maxwell was incapable of robbing the poor. He had lovable qualities before his mental decline and was an exceptionally courageous war hero.
Eleanor Berry's new book plots their special and unique relationship during his life up until the time of his death.
