Ragnar Redbeard: the Antipodean Origins of the Radical Fabulist Arthur Desmond

"Mark Derby does justice to the spectacularly 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. 68 pages.