This ground-breaking first biography explores the contradictions at the core of Xavier Herbert’s turbulent life and career (1901-1984). Charting his lifelong quest to discover the reality of his existence and to forge a larger-than-life identity, it highlights Herbert’s compulsion to write and illuminates his abiding themes. Labelled at various times ratbag and mug genius as well as master writer, Xavier Herbert led a life characterised by controversy and contradiction. His signature books, Capricornia (1938) and Poor Fellow My country (1975), were to change the face of Australian novel writing.