The Extreme Danes 1921-1939

When historian René Karpantschof's Danish history book "The Extreme Danes 1921-1939" was published, Berlingske Tidende called it "a counter-narrative to Matador's domestic cosiness". Karpantschof shows that the typical Danish farmer of the era bore little resemblance to the socialist-friendly pig trader Larsen from Matador - instead, crisis-stricken farmers of the time turned to fascism.

In the cities, young conservatives marched in boots and shoulder straps, just as Danish communists and social democrats did. And the dissatisfied maids of the era took far more drastic action than saying "Ouch, my arm!"

The interwar period was altogether wilder than many today imagine. Karpantschof tells of what he calls the Revolution in Randers in 1922, when the city was paralyzed by a general strike and the military was deployed.

René Karpantschof is a historian and sociologist with numerous academic books to his name and has appeared countless times on radio and television as an expert on social affairs.