When Ghislaine Maxwell stood trial for her involvement in assisting sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, her lawyers did not just argue about what took place in New York or Palm Beach but they reached further back into her childhood which was reportedly overshadowed by one of Britain’s most controversial media barons, her father Robert Maxwell. They said to understand Ghislaine, the court needed to understand Robert. They portrayed a childhood which was marred by fear, humiliation and control. A father who was self-made, brilliant and charismatic but also domineering, unpredictable and cruel at times. Robert Maxwell’s life began in struggle. He...