Rival Caesars

by Arthur Desmond, Desmond Dilg, Ragnar Redbeard

Rival Caesars is the little known second book by Arthur Desmond (writing under the pseudonym Desmond Dilg), aka Ragnar Redbeard, author of one of the most infamous and controversial books of all time, "Might is Right: The Survival of the Fittest." Peppered with Desmond's fascinating, unique, and thought-provoking philosophy, Rival Caesars is a wildly entertaining "alternative history" account of the famed rivalry between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr that ended in the bloody, fatal duel. Out-of-print for over a century, editor Benjamin Garland has rescued this politically incorrect book from obscurity. Sure to be appreciated by fans of "Might is Right" and casual fiction readers alike, "Rival Caesars" is a piece of history now readily available to all.

Genres: Fiction

518 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1903

About the author

Arthur Desmond (c. 1859 – 23 January 1929), also known as Arthur Uing, Richard Thurland, Desmond Dilg and Gavin Gowrie, was a political activist, anarchist, socialist, poet and author. He lived for periods in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and England.

Desmond was born in either England or New Zealand. He entered the public record in 1884 as a parliamentary candidate in New Zealand, where he became known for his radical views and advocacy for the Māori leader Te Kooti. He moved to Sydney in 1894 and get involved with the Australian labour movement before moving to the United States.

Desmond is also believed to be the author of the political treatise Might Is Right, written under the pen name Ragnar Redbeard and printed 1896 in Chicago. The book is probably written as a parody and a satire of Social Darwinism, and espouses the beliefs that power, strength, and dominance would be the mark of a superior human being and that inherent human rights are nonexistent.

Reviews

[Shaun Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book after reading Might is Right, which was written by Desmond under penname Ragnar Redbeard. I do not believe I would have found this book otherwise, though I am glad for the experience. This was a wonderful way to see the oft overwhelmingly offensive views from MiR in romantic action.

All of the content that was so offensive to be banned from the emotional shelves of Amazon.com is presented here as virtues within the lives of our founding fathers, with many natural consequences as a result. This book adds a lot of context for how Redbeard thought the world should work in MiR and makes it a lot more relevant in action. As for historical accuracy, Desmond artfully fills in many gaps. The history matches up well with what I remember from watching Burr vs Hamilton in Drunk History (tv show). This is to say, I'm no historian. I'm glad for this read, though, and am pleased with my experience.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a secret-society-esque view on the American Revolution and the Burr-Hamilton duel.