Publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell launched a legal...

Publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell launched a legal campaign to stop Britain’s bookstores from selling two biographies he says libel him. Lawyers acting for Maxwell said they were seeking from the respected academic booksellers, Blackwell’s, both libel damages and an apology for stocking the two books. But a spokesman for Maxwell said no moves would be made to ban the Oxford-based chain from selling the books prior to a full trial of the libel action, which could take months to reach court. Blackwell’s has refused to withdraw the volumes. “We put the books on the shelves . . . after taking prudent legal advice,” said marketing director Roger Cole. “We won’t be bullied or threatened.” Last week, lawyers for the Czechoslovakian-born millionaire, whose authorized biography “Maxwell” also just hit the stands, threatened to sue hundreds of stores unless they agreed not to stock the two other books.