20 Best Books About Anarchism (2023 Update)

Navigating the broad "river of anarchy," from taoism to situationism, from ranters to punk rockers, from individualists to communists, from anarcho-syndicalists to anarcha-feminists, demanding the impossible is an authoritative and lively study of a widely misunderstood subject. it explores the key anarchist concepts of society and the state, freedom and equality, authority and power, and investigates the successes and failure of the anarchist movements throughout the world. while remaining sympathetic to anarchism, it presents a balanced and critical account. it covers not only the classic anarchist thinkers, such as godwin, proudhon, bakunin, kropotkin, reclus and emma goldman, but also other libertarian figures, such as nietzsche, camus, gandhi, foucault and chomsky. no other book on anarchism covers so much so incisively. in this updated edition, a new epilogue examines the most recent developments, including "post-anarchism" and "anarcho-primitivism" as well as the anarchist contribution to the peace, green and global justice movements. demanding the impossible is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand what anarchists stand for and what they have achieved. it will also appeal to those who want to discover how anarchism offers an inspiring and original body of ideas and practices which is more relevant than ever in the twenty-first century.

Trade paperback. 1970. near fine. interior pristine. spine straight tight and uncreased. light foxing to edges. not from a library. no remainder mark. not clipped. xx 166 pages. translation of l'anarchisme de la doctrine a l'action first published in paris 1965.

The definitive primer on anarchist thought and practice, from the thinker the new york times book review calls "the most widely read voice on foreign policy on the planet" "the essence of anarchism [is] the conviction that the burden of proof has to be placed on authority and that it should be dismantled if that burden cannot be met." –noam chomsky with the specter of anarchy being invoked by the right to sow fear, a cogent explanation of the political philosophy known as anarchism has never been more urgently needed. in on anarchism, radical linguist, philosopher, and activist noam chomsky provides it. known for his brilliant evisceration of american foreign policy, state capitalism, and the mainstream media, chomsky remains a formidable and unapologetic critic of established authority and perhaps the world's most famous anarchist. on anarchism sheds a much-needed light on the foundations of chomsky's thought, specifically his constant questioning of the legitimacy of entrenched power. the book gathers his essays and interviews to provide a short, accessible introduction to his distinctively optimistic brand of anarchism. chomsky eloquently refutes the notion of anarchism as a fixed idea, suggesting that it is part of a living, evolving tradition, and he disputes the traditional fault lines between anarchism and socialism, emphasizing the power of collective, rather than individualist, action. including a retrospective interview with chomsky where the author assesses his writings on anarchism to date, this is a book that is sure to challenge, provoke, and inspire. profoundly relevant to our times, on anarchism is a touchstone for political activists and anyone interested in deepening their understanding of anarchism and the power of collective action.

In the 1890s and for years thereafter, america reverberated with the name of the "notorious anarchist," feminist, revolutionist, and agitator, emma goldberg. a russian jewish immigrant at the age of 17, she moved by her own efforts from seamstress in a clothing factory to internationally known radical lecturer, writer, editor, and friend of the oppressed. this book is a collection of her remarkably penetrating essays, far in advance of their time, originally published by the mother earth press which she founded.in the first of these essays, anarchism: what it really stands for, she says, "direct action, having proven effective along economic lines, is equally potent in the environment of the individual." in minorities versus majorities she holds that social and economic well-being will result only through "the non-compromising determination of intelligent minorities, and not through the mass." other pieces deal with the hypocrisy of puritanism; prisons: a social crime and failure; the psychology of political violence; the drama: a powerful disseminator of radical thought; patriotism: a menace to liberty; and the tragedy of woman's emancipation.

Would you want a world without government? in this clear and penetrating study, ruth kinna goes directly to the heart of this controversial ideology, explaining the influences that have shaped anarchism and the different tactics and strategies that have been used by anarchists throughout history to achieve their ends. kinna covers themes both historical and acutely contemporary, including: could anarchy ever really be a viable alternative to the state? can anarchist ideals ever be consistent with the justification of violence? how has anarchism influenced the anti-globalization movement?

Would you want a world without government? in this clear and penetrating study, ruth kinna goes directly to the heart of this controversial ideology, explaining the influences that have shaped anarchism and the different tactics and strategies that have been used by anarchists throughout history to achieve their ends. kinna covers themes both historical and acutely contemporary, including: could anarchy ever really be a viable alternative to the state? can anarchist ideals ever be consistent with the justification of violence? how has anarchism influenced the anti-globalization movement?

In its first two years of production, dario fo's notorious accidental death of an anarchist was seen by over a half a million people. it has since been performed all over the world, and become a classic. a sharp and hilarious satire on police corruption, it concerns the case of an anarchist railway worker who, in 1969 fell to his death from a police headquaters window. in its first two years of production in italy, dario fo's notorious accidental death of an anarchist was seen by over half a million people. it has since been performed all over the world, and become a classic of twentieth-century drama. a sharp and hilarious satire on police corruption, it concerns the case of an anarchist railway worker who, in 1969, 'fell' to his death from a police headquarters window. 'i ought to warn you that the author of this sick little play, dario fo, has the traditional, irrational hatred of the police common to all narrowminded left-wingers and so i shall, no doubt, be the unwilling butt of endless anti-authoritarian jibes.' (inspector bertozzo, central italian police hq)'a marvellous concept: a zany political farce.' (michael billington) this edition has been adapted by gavin richards from gillian hanna's translation and features an introduction by stuart hood and a preface by dario fo.

'the quality that makes fo uniquely powerful … [is] the ability to wring wild laughter out of insidious corruption' guardian'simon nye's witty translation updates and relocates the play … suitably close to contemporary england. fo is that rare thing, a far-left playwright with a popular, comic touch. and his stinging attack upon the black arts of government cover-up, manipulation and mendacity could not be more timely' evening standardin its first two years of production, dario fo's controversial farce, accidental death of an anarchist, was seen by over half a million people. it has since been performed all over the world and is widely recognised as a classic of modern drama. a sharp and hilarious satire on political corruption, it concerns the case of an anarchist railway worker who, in 1969, 'fell' to his death from a police headquarters window.this version of the play was premiered at the donmar warehouse, london, in february 2003.

A gifted writer for the anarchist movement, alexander berkman left russia for the united states in 1888 when he was eighteen. thirty-one years later, after serving a prison term for an attempted assassination, he was expelled to the soviet union, a country which he eventually renounced. but before his repudiation of the soviet system, berkman attempted to answer some of the charges made against anarchism and to present its case clearly and intelligently. this book, first published in 1929, is the result of those efforts.thorough and well stated, the abc of anarchism is today widely regarded as a classic declaration of the movement's goals and methods. for those who have questions about anarchism, berkman provides lucid answers. in conversational tones, he discusses society as it existed in the early twentieth century; why in his opinion, anarchy was necessary; the myths surrounding it; and necessary preparations for its successful implementation. of the book, emma goldman said: people need a primer of anarchism–an abc, as it were, that would teach them the rudimentary principles of anarchism and whet their appetites for something more profound. [the book] was intended to serve this purpose. that it has fulfilled its purpose no one who has read [it] will deny.

A comprehensieve and far ranging collection of anarchist writings from the feudal era to 1939. this incomparable volume includes the definitive texts from the anarchist tradition of political thuoght. it deals with the anarchist critiques of the authoritarian theories and practices confronting them.

The anarchist cookbook will shock, it will disturb, it will provoke. it places in historical perspective an era when "turn on, burn down, blow up" are revolutionary slogans of the day. says the author" "this book… is not written for the members of fringe political groups, such as the weatherman, or the minutemen. those radical groups don't need this book. they already know everything that's in here. if the real people of america, the silent majority, are going to survive, they must educate themselves. that is the purpose of this book." in what the author considers a survival guide, there is explicit information on the uses and effects of drugs, ranging from pot to heroin to peanuts. there i detailed advice concerning electronics, sabotage, and surveillance, with data on everything from bugs to scramblers. there is a comprehensive chapter on natural, non-lethal, and lethal weapons, running the gamut from cattle prods to sub-machine guns to bows and arrows. the section on explosives and booby traps ranges from tnt to whistle traps. one hundred and eleven drawings supplement the recipes. "this book is for anarchists," says william powell, "those who feel able to discipline themselves on all the subjects from drugs, to weapons, to explosives) that are currently illegal in this country." techniques, disciplines, precautions, and warnings pervade what may be the most disquieting "how-to" book of contemporary times.

The foundational text of libertarian thought, named one of the 100 most influential books since world war ii (times literary supplement)first published in response to john rawls' a theory of justice, robert nozick's anarchy, state, and utopia has become a defining text of classic libertarian thought. challenging and ultimately rejecting liberal, socialist, and conservative agendas, nozick boldly asserts that the rights of individuals are violated as a state's responsibilities increase — and that the only way to avoid these violations is the creation of a minimalist state limited to the enforcement of contracts and to protection against force, fraud, and theft.winner of the national book award and translated into over one hundred languages, anarchy, state and utopia remains one of the most theoretically trenchant and philosophically rich defenses of economic liberalism to date. with an introduction by philosopher thomas nagel, this edition brings nozick and his work to today's generation of readers.

On anarchism is an essential introduction to the noam chomsky's political theory.on anarchism sheds a much needed light on the foundations of chomsky's thought, specifically his constant questioning of the legitimacy of entrenched power. the book gathers his essays and interviews to provide a short, accessible introduction to his distinctively optimistic brand of anarchism. refuting the notion of anarchism as a fixed idea, and disputing the traditional fault lines between anarchism and socialism, this is a book sure to challenge, provoke and inspire. profoundly relevant to our times, it is a touchstone for political activists and anyone interested in deepening their understanding of anarchism, or of chomsky's thought.

A new edition of this classic with extensive notes. rudolph rocker remains one of the most important figures in the history of anarchism, from his key role organizing against sweatshop labor in london in the 1900s to being the moving spirit behind the founding of the largest ever anarchist international–the iwma in 1921. in his later years he tried to chronicle the rise and fall of mass, organised anarchism in europe. anarchism and anarcho-syndicalism is rocker's abridged version of his major work anarcho-syndicalism and helps to explain where organised anarchism came from. this book's lessons are a must for anyone interested in where it's going.

With the timely reprinting of this selection of malatesta's writings, first published in 1965 by freedom press, the full range of this great anarchist activist's ideas are once again in circulation. life and ideas gathers excerpts from malatesta's writings over a lifetime of revolutionary activity. the editor, vernon richards, has translated hundreds of articles by malatesta, taken from the journals malatesta either edited himself or contributed to, from the earliest, l'en dehors of 1892, through to pensiero e volontà, which was forced to close by mussolini's fascists in 1926, and the bilingual il risveglio/le réveil, which published most of his writings after that date. these articles have been pruned down to their essentials and collected under subheadings ranging from "ends and means" to "anarchist propaganda." through the selections malatesta's classical anarchism emerges: a revolutionary, nonpacifist, nonreformist vision informed by decades of engagement in struggle and study. in addition there is a short biographical piece and an essay by the editor.

Anarchists who supported the cuban war for independence in the 1890s launched a transnational network linking radical leftists from their revolutionary hub in havana, cuba to south florida, puerto rico, panama, the panama canal zone, and beyond. over three decades, anarchists migrated around the caribbean and back and forth to the us, printed fiction and poetry promoting their projects, transferred money and information across political borders for a variety of causes, and attacked (verbally and physically) the expansion of us imperialism in the 'american mediterranean'. in response, us security officials forged their own transnational anti-anarchist campaigns with officials across the caribbean. shaffer brings together research in anarchist politics, transnational networks, radical journalism and migration studies to illustrate how men and women throughout the caribbean basin and beyond sought to shape a counter-globalization initiative to challenge the emergence of modern capitalism and us foreign policy whilst rejecting nationalist projects and marxist state socialism.

A collection of essays by america's most prominent anarchist, feminist, and critic of both capitalism and communism, who was imprisoned and deported for opposing the first world war. includes "anarchy defended by anarchists", "the tragedy of women's emancipation", "anarchism: what it really stands for", "the psychology of political violence", "patriotism: a menace to liberty", "speech against conscription and war", "there is no communism in russia", and "the individual, society, and the state".

Christian anarchism has been around for at least as long as "secular" anarchism. the existing literature cites leo tolstoy as its most famous (sometimes even as the only) proponent, but there are many others, such as jacques ellul, vernard eller, dave andrews or the people associated with the catholic worker movement. both individually and collectively, these christian anarchists offer a compelling critique of the state, the church and the economy based on numerous passages from the new testament. christian anarchism, the first generic study bringing together these different thinkers and reflecting on their contribution, is here made available in an abridged edition, thereby presenting christian anarchism to a wider public. — cover, p. 4.

'one of the fiercest books i've ever read' – jasbir k. puar discourse around muslims and islam all too often lapses into a false dichotomy of orientalist and fundamentalist tropes. a popular reimagining of islam is urgently needed. yet it is a perhaps unexpected political philosophical tradition that has the most to offer in this pursuit: anarchism. islam and anarchism is a highly original and interdisciplinary work, which simultaneously disrupts two commonly held beliefs – that islam is necessarily authoritarian and capitalist; and that anarchism is necessarily anti-religious and anti-spiritual. deeply rooted in key islamic concepts and textual sources, and drawing on radical indigenous, islamic anarchistic and social movement discourses, abdou proposes 'anarcha-islam'. constructing a decolonial, non-authoritarian and non-capitalist islamic anarchism, islam and anarchism philosophically and theologically challenges the classist, sexist, racist, ageist, queerphobic and ableist inequalities in both post- and neo-colonial societies like egypt, and settler-colonial societies such as canada and the usa.

"'the anarchist's design book' is an exploration of furniture forms that have persisted outside of the high styles that dominate every museum exhibit, scholarly text and woodworking magazine of the last 200 years. … this book explores 11 of these forms – a bed, dining tables, chairs, chests, desks, shelving – and offers a deep exploration into the two construction techniques used to make these pieces that have been forgotten, neglected or rejected"–publisher's website