In September 1919 Gabriele D'Annunzio, successful poet and occasional politician, declared himself Commandante of the city of Fiume in modern day Croatia. His intention-to establish a utopia based on his fascist and artistic ideals. It was the dramatic pinnacle to an outrageous career. In The Pike Lucy Hughes-Hallett charts the controversial life of D'Annunzio, the debauched artist who became a national hero whilst addressing the cult of nationalism and the origins of political extremism.