20 Best Books On Anarchy (2023 Update)

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.

Finalist for the cundill history prize – one of president barack obama's favorite books of the yearnamed a best book of the year by the wall street journal and npr“superb … a vivid and richly detailed story … worth reading by everyone.” —the new york times book review – from the bestselling author of return of a king, the story of how the east india company took over large swaths of asia, and the devastating results of the corporation running a country. – in august 1765, the east india company defeated the young mughal emperor and set up, in his place, a government run by english traders who collected taxes through means of a private army. – the creation of this new government marked the moment that the east india company ceased to be a conventional company and became something much more unusual: an international corporation transformed into an aggressive colonial power. over the course of the next 47 years, the company’s reach grew until almost all of india south of delhi was effectively ruled from a boardroom in the city of london. – the anarchy tells one of history’s most remarkable stories: how the mughal empire—which dominated world trade and manufacturing and possessed almost unlimited resources—fell apart and was replaced by a multinational corporation based thousands of miles overseas, and answerable to shareholders, most of whom had never even seen india and no idea about the country whose wealth was providing their dividends. using previously untapped sources, dalrymple tells the story of the east india company as it has never been told before and provides a portrait of the devastating results from the abuse of corporate power. – bronze medal in the 2020 arthur ross book award

Errico malatesta was an italian anarchist and writer (1853-1932), who lived much of his life in exile and was expelled or forced to flee from many of the countries he visited. he teamed up with other well known anarchists, like peter kropotkin and mikhail bakunin, to promote anarchist ideas and advocate revolution – activities that resulted in more than ten years in prison.anarchy was originally published in 1891 as a pamphlet. from the start, malatesta is at pains to clarify the true meaning of the term. it should on no account, he says, be associated with disorder and chaos. instead, it should be construed in its original greek sense to mean 'without a ruler' or "… without any constituted authority … or government." this short treatise outlines anarchy's tenets, among which are the abolition of private property, privilege and class and the formation of decentralized self-governing communities. in malatesta's view, people have too long been conditioned into believing they need authoritarian government which, time and again, ends up serving a privileged few rather than the many. he urges us to reassert our natural inclination for voluntary cooperation and the sharing of skills and resources.

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.

A beautiful anarchy is a vulnerable, honest, and insightful book about the human longing to create, whether you're creating a family, a business, a book, or a photograph. your greatest creation can be an intentional life lived on your own terms. what is our life but a chance to make the greatest art of all? if you already identify as a creative person, this book is an invitation to more intentionally explore your creative process. if you've ever said, "but i'm not really creative," it's a call to exhume a part of yourself that desperately needs to get out and breathe.this is an honest discussion about creativity and the obstacles that stand in your way on that journey. it's an invitation to consider the creative in all of us, and to recognize that your best work will always be done when you colour outside the lines and listen first to your own voice. truly exceptional, authentic lives have never belonged to the talented or the fearless, but to those who find the courage to do their work, and to be themselves.

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.

Thirty million readers worldwide. includes exclusive never before seen chapter.' the hunger games meets the road' mtvthe world is different now. there are no rules, no governments, and no guarantees that you'll be saved.rival factions have taken over, fighting each other for survival with no loyalty to anyone but their own. at 21, hayden has taken over blackwing and is one of the youngest leaders in the area. in protecting his camp from starvation, raids from other factions and the threat of being kidnapped, he has enough to worry about before he finds grace. the daughter of the head of the rival camp greystone, she is slow to trust anyone, much less the leader of those she has been trained to kill. this is danger. this is chaos. this is anarchy.

When the mighty henry i died in december 1135, leaving no legitimate son, who was to replace him on the throne of england? would it be stephen, nephew to the king and showered with favours that maybe gave him ideas above his station? or could it be a woman, henry's own choice, his daughter matilda, who had been sent away when eight years old to marry the holy roman emperor, widowed, then forced into a hated second marriage for political reasons? stephen was the first to act, seizing the throne that had been promised to matilda, but he would find taking a crown far easier than keeping it. the resulting struggle became known as 'the anarchy, ' a time when fortune changed sides as frequently and dramatically as in any page-turning thriller, and with a cast of characters to match – some passionately supporting stephen or matilda, others simply out to grab what they could from the chaos. these supporting players are not overlooked here: henry of blois, brother of stephen, bishop of winchester, and largely orchestrator of the church's response to the conflict; robert of gloucester, illegitimate son of henry i and chief supporter of his half-sister; and geoffrey of anjou, husband of matilda, determined to secure normandy (traditional enemy of anjou) for himself. covering all the twists and turns of this war between cousins, as first one side then the other seemed within touching distance of total victory, the anarchy blends contemporary, sometimes eyewitness accounts with modern analysis to describe a period of england's history so dark and lawless that those who lived through it declared that 'christ and his saints slept.'

In a clear conversation with the reader, berkman discusses society as it now exists, the need for anarchism and the methods for bringing it about. often mentioned in conjunction with his lover emma goldman, berkman was a leading writer and participant in the 20th-century anarchist movement. the young, idealistic berkman practiced "propaganda by the deed," attempting to assassinate henry clay frick during the homestead steel strike of 1892. while imprisoned, he wrote the classic tale of prison life,prison memoirs of an anarchist. after his release, berkman editedthe blast! and goldman'smother earth. deported to russia in 1919, he saw firsthand the failure of the bolshevik revolution and dedicated himself to writing this classic primer on anarchism.

'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.

Jacque ellul blends politics, theology, history, and exposition in this analysis of the relationship between political anarchy and biblical faith. while he clarifies the views of each and how they can be related, his aim is not to proselytize either anarchists into christianity or christians into anarchy. on the one hand, suggests ellul, anarchists need to understand that much of their criticism of christianity applies only to the form of religion that developed, not to biblical faith. christians, on the other hand, need to look at the biblical texts and not reject anarchy as a political option, for it seems closest to biblical thinking. after charting the background of his own interest in the subject, ellul defines what he means by anarchy: the nonviolent repudiation of authority. he goes on to look at the bible as the source of anarchy (in the sense of nondomination, not disorder), working through old testament history, jesus' ministry, and finally the early church's view of power as reflected in the new testament writings. he wrote more than forty books, including 'the technological society', 'the humiliation of the word', and 'technological bluff'.

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.

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.

The argument of this book is that an anarchist society, a society which organizes itself without authority, is always in existence, like a seed beneath the snow, buried under the weight of the state and its bureaucracy, capitalism and its waste, privilege and its injustices, nationalism and its suicidal loyalties, religious differences and their superstitious separatism. anarchist ideas are so much at variance with ordinary political assumptions and the solutions anarchists offer so remote, that all too often people find it hard to take anarchism seriously. this classic text is an attempt to bridge the gap between the present reality and anarchist aspirations, "between what is and what, according to the anarchists, might be." through a wide-ranging analysis–drawing on examples from education, urban planning, welfare, housing, the environment, the workplace, and the family, to name but a few–colin ward demonstrates that the roots of anarchist practice are not so alien or quixotic as they might at first seem but lie precisely in the ways that people have always tended to organize themselves when left alone to do so. the result is both an accessible introduction for those new to anarchism and pause for thought for those who are too quick to dismiss it. for more than thirty years, in over thirty books, colin ward patiently explained anarchist solutions to everything from vandalism to climate change–and celebrated unofficial uses of the landscape as commons, from holiday camps to squatter communities. ward was an anarchist journalist and editor for almost sixty years, most famously editing the journal anarchy. he was also a columnist for new statesman, new society, freedom, and town and country planning.

The argument of this book is that an anarchist society, a society which organizes itself without authority, is always in existence, like a seed beneath the snow, buried under the weight of the state and its bureaucracy, capitalism and its waste, privilege and its injustices, nationalism and its suicidal loyalties, religious differences and their superstitious separatism. anarchist ideas are so much at variance with ordinary political assumptions and the solutions anarchists offer so remote, that all too often people find it hard to take anarchism seriously. this classic text is an attempt to bridge the gap between the present reality and anarchist aspirations, "between what is and what, according to the anarchists, might be." through a wide-ranging analysis–drawing on examples from education, urban planning, welfare, housing, the environment, the workplace, and the family, to name but a few–colin ward demonstrates that the roots of anarchist practice are not so alien or quixotic as they might at first seem but lie precisely in the ways that people have always tended to organize themselves when left alone to do so. the result is both an accessible introduction for those new to anarchism and pause for thought for those who are too quick to dismiss it. for more than thirty years, in over thirty books, colin ward patiently explained anarchist solutions to everything from vandalism to climate change–and celebrated unofficial uses of the landscape as commons, from holiday camps to squatter communities. ward was an anarchist journalist and editor for almost sixty years, most famously editing the journal anarchy. he was also a columnist for new statesman, new society, freedom, and town and country planning.

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.

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 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.

This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. these books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.

This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. these books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.