I Beheld Desmond As Lightening Fall—
to Chicago!
(The Story of Arthur Desmond, 'Ragnar Redbeard' and 'Might Is Right')
by Darrell W. Conder
Like every other person intrigued by the message of Might Is Right, historian Darrell W. Conder was also intrigued about the man behind the suggestive nom de plume, Ragnar Redbeard When he produced his own edition of Might Is Right in 2004-2005, Conder briefly discussed the author's identity in the book's preface. Specifically he examined two claimants for the dubious honor. With overwhelming documentary evidence, he easily demonstrated the absurdity of Jack London's candidacy. Although Australian labor activist Arthur Desmond's candidacy was more viable, based on assertions made by Ragnar Redbeard himself (most notably the claimed ll.d from the University of Chicago), Conder had no choice but to dismiss Desmond as well.
Once his new edition of Might Is Right was at the printers, Darrell Conder found enough free time to delve more deeply into the conundrum that was Ragnar Redbeard As a former professional genealogist and the author of numerous published investigative books, booklets and articles, Conder headed for Chicago to begin his Ragnar Redbeard quest. Chicago was the logical first stop because that was where the last Redbeard-era edition of Might Is Right was printed, and because the author had made it clear that Chicago was his home. To cut to the chase, one year, thousands of car miles and hundreds of research hours later Darrell Conder had documented the identity of Ragnar Redbeard!
Once Conder discovered that Ragnar Redbeard had fabricated his vaunted doctor of laws (ll.d) degree from the Old University of Chicago—and there is a lot more to the story than outright fraud—the clandestine details of his Chicago life slowly surfaced. When fully assembled they painted a picture of none other than Arthur Desmond; a man who was part P.T. Barnum and part Aaron Burr; a showman and an opportunist with a deadly serious side. For instance, there was a 1903 altercation with the Chicago Police Department that saw Desmond holding off a troupe of officers with a rifle he had captured in the bloody Battle of Paardeberg during the Boer War! Other evidence gleaned from Chicago include:
- the long-unknown identity of Arthur Desmond's parents and his true birthplace
- his down-and-out struggle to get Might Is Right into print
- the revelation that a 45-year-old Arthur Desmond married a girl half his age and the very surprising details of their marriage ceremony
- the not-too-pleasant details of his married life, including how he became a single parent
- Arthur Desmond's doomed partnership with the famous Will H. Dilg and the real reason behind their collaboration on a book
- the largely-concealed publication of "Book II" of Might Is Right
- his part in publishing the London-based The Eagle and the Serpent, and his brief stay in fashionable London
- details of his partnering with the Dil Pickle Club's Jack Jones for the last Redbeard-era edition of Might Is Right
- Desmond's true occupation in his later years
- the sad details of the death, funeral arrangements and the final resting place of Ragnar Redbeard—including an official document proving Arthur Desmond was Ragnar Redbeard
- why Arthur Desmond spent the last thirty years of his life hiding from Might Is Right's message.
Beyond his life in Chicago, Darrell W. Conder thoroughly documents Arthur Desmond's activities in New Zealand, and reproduces most of his long-forgotten writings for the first time in over 120 years. These include the speeches he wrote while running for New Zealand's parliament, and personal hand-written letters to Sir George Grey. You'll discover why Arthur Desmond left New Zealand for the streets of Sydney, New South Wales, and read first-hand accounts of his revolutionary "might is right" philosophies being put into action. In fact, his actions in Sydney strongly suggests that Desmond was building a private army for a coup d'état! Since this latter goal took place in the decade in which Might Is Right was written, Ragnar Redbeard fans will see from Arthur Desmond's own writings and actions his later controversial book physically in the making. In I Beheld Desmond As Lightening Fall—to Chicago! (The Story of Arthur Desmond, 'Might Is Right' and 'Ragnar Redbeard') you'll read about Arthur Desmond's personal friendship with some notable Australian personages, including the poet Henry Lawson and a future New South Wales Premier and a future Australian Prime Minister. You'll discover why Arthur Desmond left Australia—one step ahead of the law—and why he headed for Chicago.
The key point for Ragnar Redbeard fans is that Conder has painstakingly documented his book and proves beyond doubt that New Zealand and Australia's Arthur Desmond was indeed Chicago's Ragnar Redbeard! However, those who insist that Arthur Desmond wrote Might Is Right as "satire" will be disappointed, since his pre-Might Is Right writings and actions clearly show a man evolving from something akin to a humanitarian Christian into the hard-bitten atheist Ragnar Redbeard In fact, Conder gleans numerous thoughts, words, sentences and philosophies from Arthur Desmond's Sydney journals and shows how these resurfaced in Might Is Right, which indeed Arthur Desmond was writing at the time he was agitating on the streets of Sydney. The question of "satire" is finally laid to rest when Conder reproduces a number of post-Might Is Right letters, which Ragnar Redbeard wrote answering his critics or challenging them to a duel of philosophies.
In addition to 234 8½ x 11 pages of three continents' worth of details on Arthur Desmond's life, Darrell Conder also reproduces 30 pages of original rare photographs and illustrations, many from his own private collection. These alone will prove a treasure trove for any "Redbeard" fan! Here you'll see the title pages of the known Redbeard-era editions of Might Is Right/Survival of the Fittest, including the previously unknown Auditorium Press 3rd edition, printed in 1896. You'll find numerous original advertisements for Might Is Right/Survival of the Fittest, copies of letters from Ragnar Redbeard to various period journals; and letters written in Desmond/Redbeard's own hand. The front pages of Arthur Desmond's Sydney journals are reproduced, as are copies of the title pages from his various booklets, poems and speeches. Documents from Chicago include newspaper clippings of his violent run-in with Chicago's finest; Arthur Desmond's Chicago journal, The Lion's Paw; the title page of his 1927 Dil Pickle Press edition of Might Is Right; and the cover and title page of Rival Caesars, Desmond's final book, are reproduced. Arthur Desmond's marriage certificate and other personal documents are also reproduced, as are documents pertaining to his estate, such as the final bill for his funeral expenses, a portrait of his young wife, and photographs of his final resting place.
Included in this book is chapter one of the Conder edition of Might Is Right, which has been recently updated to include the missing portions from the 1896 edition. No other edition of Might Is Right includes these missing portions!
With the release of I Beheld Desmond As Lightening Fall—to Chicago! (The Story of Arthur Desmond, 'Might Is Right' and 'Ragnar Redbeard') no one can now honestly claim anyone other than Arthur Desmond as the infamous Ragnar Redbeard The final word on the real Ragnar Redbeard is at last in print!
This 268-page book is being released on CD in PDF format, which requires Adobe Reader. (If you are among the few who don't have this program already installed on your computer, it's free on the Internet!) And best of all, the $9.99 price includes free shipping within the USA! (International orders will require an additional $1 for postage.) If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email us—we're only a click away!
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