Desmond Ball, (1947-2016), a barefooted academic from ‘down under’ was hailed by Jimmy Carter as “the man who saved the world”, as he proved the fallacy of the doctrine of limited nuclear war. His study of Pine Gap—the largest intelligence-gathering base outside of the US, in the red-heart of Australia—infuriated Australia’s defence establishment.
Des gazed at spy bases around the world, and worked out what they did and why.
He is remembered as the ‘Insurgent Intellectual’.