Ragnar Redbeard

Description

Mark Derby does justice to the spec-tacularly farflung radical and reactionary lives and the larger still legends of Arthur Desmond in the only way possible. He gives us a settler capable of siding with indigenous people and a muckraker on fire against wealth and privilege. But he equally shows a man, and eventually a persona, best known for his worst words, whose self-promotions and transnational bigotry remained connected to former commitments while tragically betraying them. This is a thoroughly engaging work of historical detection and discernment.
David Roediger, Professor of American Studies and History, University of Kansas
`Like a great shining plow driven by superhuman forces, it goes tearing, ripping, swearing through the brains of men, remorselessly rooting up the evil idols and the false foundations. The ablest authors of our era it leaves far in the rear.'
From Arthur Desmond's publicity material for his 1896 book Might is Right.

Author description

Mark Derby is a New Zealand writer and historian. His books include Kiwi Companeros - New Zealand and the Spanish Civil War (Canterbury University Press, 2009)