▁time , ▁however , ▁in ▁Pra eg er ' s ▁own ▁words , ▁" The ▁world ▁accepted ▁[ W agner ] ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁great ▁men " ▁and ▁Pra eg er ▁no ▁longer ▁had ▁any ▁part ▁in ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁Wagner ▁As ▁I ▁K new ▁Him ▁Pra eg er ' s ▁Wagner ▁As ▁I ▁K new ▁Him , ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁dict ated ▁during ▁his ▁last ▁years , ▁the ▁first ▁full - length ▁bi ography ▁of ▁Wagner ▁to ▁be ▁created ▁in ▁English , ▁was ▁published ▁a ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁author ' s ▁death ▁and ▁nine ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁its ▁subject . ▁The ▁work ▁was ▁controvers ial ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁reasons . ▁Not ▁least , ▁the ▁author ▁claimed , ▁in ▁his ▁intro duct ory ▁dedic ation ▁to ▁the ▁Earl ▁of ▁D ys art , ▁" an ▁un inter rupted ▁friendship ▁of ▁close ▁upon ▁half ▁a ▁century " ▁– ▁whereas ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁their ▁int im acy ▁can ▁be ▁set ▁at ▁the ▁most ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁until ▁ 1 8 7 1 . ▁The ▁author ' s ▁doubt ful ▁claims ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁Wagner ' s ▁first ▁English ▁champion , ▁and ▁his ▁early ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁" New ▁German ▁School " ▁ ▁were ▁also ▁challeng ed ▁from ▁the ▁start , ▁although ▁the ▁Wagner ▁enthus iast ▁George ▁Bernard ▁Shaw ▁said ▁of ▁the ▁book , ▁" A ▁more ▁v ivid ▁and ▁convin cing ▁portrait ▁than ▁Pra eg er ' s ▁was ▁never ▁painted ▁in ▁words ." ▁ ▁But ▁the