Emmet O'Connor uses archival sources, including declassified Soviet Union and FBI files, to cast light on Jim Larkin and his relations with international communism. He aims to uncover the motivation behind Larkin's public persona.

James Larkin (1876-1947) retains a central position in the pantheon of the Irish labour movement. In the popular consciousness he is most commonly linked to his role in the epic 1913 Dublin Lockout and to his turbulent leadership of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union. Less well known is his role within international communism and his attempts to establish a significant socialist presence in southern Ireland during the 1920s.