Lesson plan

Robert Maxwell

Ian Robert Maxwell (10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovak-born British-French media proprietor and politician. Of Jewish descent, he escaped the Nazi occupation of his native Czechoslovakia and joined the Czechoslovak Army in exile during the Second World War. He was decorated after active service in the British Army. In subsequent years he worked in publishing, building up Pergamon Press to a major academic publisher. After serving as a Labour member of Parliament from 1964 to 1970, Maxwell again put all his energy into business, successively buying the British Printing Corporation, Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) and Macmillan Inc., among other publishing companies. Maxwell led a flamboyant life, living in Headington Hill Hall in Oxford, from which he often flew in his helicopter, or sailed on his luxury yacht, Lady Ghislaine, named after his daughter Ghislaine. He was litigious and often embroiled in controversy. In 1989 he had to sell successful businesses, including Pergamon Press, to cover some of his debts. In 1991 his body was discovered floating in the Atlantic Ocean, near the Canary Islands, having apparently fallen overboard from his yacht.…

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Article summary

Ian Robert Maxwell (10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovak-born British-French media proprietor and politician. Of Jewish descent, he escaped the Nazi occupation of his native Czechoslovakia and joined the Czechoslovak Army in exile during the Second World War. He was decorated after active service in the British Army. In subsequent years he worked in publishing, building up Pergamon Press to a major academic publisher. After serving as a Labour member of Parliament from 1964 to 1970, Maxwell again put all his energy into business, successively buying the British Printing Corporation, Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) and Macmillan Inc., among other publishing companies. Maxwell led a flamboyant life, living in Headington Hill Hall in Oxford, from which he often flew in his helicopter, or sailed on his luxury yacht, Lady Ghislaine, named after his daughter Ghislaine. He was litigious and often embroiled in controversy. In 1989 he had to sell successful businesses, including Pergamon Press, to cover some of his debts. In 1991 his body was discovered floating in the Atlantic Ocean, near the Canary Islands, having apparently fallen overboard from his yacht.…

Key claims

  1. date of birth: 1923-06-10 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. date of death: 2013-08-07 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  3. date of establishment: 1970 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  4. date of formation: 1918 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of birth is "1923-06-10". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the date of death is "2013-08-07". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. The record states that the date of establishment is "1970". What evidence would count against this claim?
  5. The record states that the date of formation is "1918". What evidence would count against this claim?
  6. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  7. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1374748321

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.