Love him or hate him, Ian Bone has led quite the colourful life and has always been committed to trying to change things from the outset to the presenLove him or hate him, Ian Bone has led quite the colourful life and has always been committed to trying to change things from the outset to the present day. Whilst I perhaps don't agree with all of his tactics and thoughts, I was interested to read an 'eyewitness' account of several events which are depicted (Battle of the Beanfield, the Miners Strike, March on the Rich etc) . Bash The Rich is his collection of memoirs and sees his involvement in many of the political campaigns that occurred during the 60s-80s, as well as the birth of Class War.
The overall tone of the book is very ranty and filled with expletives, but still manages to come across as gutsy and humorous. I do wish it was a bit more detail heavy though because some of the chapters can feel a little sparse in places. An entertaining and interesting book nonetheless....more
After reading so many dense, and frankly dull, books based around activism and politics this year, The Leaderless Revolution felt like a breath of freAfter reading so many dense, and frankly dull, books based around activism and politics this year, The Leaderless Revolution felt like a breath of fresh air. It's an easy to read and fully accessible book for anyone new to activism who is looking for a few pointers on how to get the ball rolling, whether through individual choices or collectively (though the problems of trying to do things on your own are briefly discussed). I also enjoyed the interesting background info of Carne's previous life as a British diplomat which is present throughout the book and made it even more pleasurable to read....more
Chomsky on Anarchism is a collection of essays and interviews in which Chomsky discusses the broadness and complexity of anarchism and anarchist issueChomsky on Anarchism is a collection of essays and interviews in which Chomsky discusses the broadness and complexity of anarchism and anarchist issues. He mainly refers to anarcho-syndicalism and there are some good parts where he goes over the role that anarchism played in the Spanish Civil War (though to the experienced reader, this has since been well noted by others). I found his comments on Rousseau's Discourse of Equality interesting, as well as Chapter 4 (The Relevance of Anarcho-Syndicalism).
All in all, an insightful collection, though I feel the overall structure and composition of the book is a little strange as the reader has to wade through an incredibly dry first chapter to get to the good bits. The book itself definitely progressed significantly for me as the chapters went on and whilst I know all of the material has been published elsewhere, it's nice to have all of these thoughts in one place....more
Occupy is a brief recap of some of Chomsky's speeches and thoughts at the time of the 2011 Occupy movement in the US. If you're already familiar with Occupy is a brief recap of some of Chomsky's speeches and thoughts at the time of the 2011 Occupy movement in the US. If you're already familiar with Chomsky's political mindset, then this is much of the same, but if you're new to it, you'll find it a good little introduction to his ideas on anarchism and how people can organise for change in society.
At the end of this edition, there's a particularly moving tribute to the wonderful Howard Zinn and a brief Q&A offering legal advice to activists in the US....more
This book is widely known in anarchist circles, yet seems very well hidden from everywhere else. Even some of the most diehard sci-fi fans I know haveThis book is widely known in anarchist circles, yet seems very well hidden from everywhere else. Even some of the most diehard sci-fi fans I know have never heard of it, and yet it's one of the most intelligent sci-fi novels of the century. The Dispossessed: An Ambigious Utopia is one of those novels that demands to be read more than once, and the more you read it, the more you realise just how clever it is, but you need to invest some time in understanding everything.
To put it simply there's a LOT of reading between the lines and the use of metaphors is rife throughout. The central theme describes two opposite planets; one is called Anarres and its residents live in a seemingly utopian anarchist community. The other planet is called Urras and symbolises the supposed opposite of Anarres. The story is told through the eyes of a super genius scientist from Anarres, Shevek. It's through him that we realise everything is not as it seems, and even utopias have their problems that need to be addressed.
Although the novel itself comes across as quite dry (it's not the easiest to follow and to read it as an actual story can be difficult, even if you're anarchist minded to begin with), it makes a lot of interesting points about some of the potential flaws of anarchism/utopias, BUT it suggests ways in which elements can be combined with socialism to function more as a complete and sustainable society. It's a fascinating book and one I'd highly recommend to anyone interested in politics, anarchism and everything in between....more
An eye-opening book which is accessible for almost everyone to read without too much trouble and a great introduction to many topics surrounding the pAn eye-opening book which is accessible for almost everyone to read without too much trouble and a great introduction to many topics surrounding the politics of Power. Packed within these 400 pages, Chomsky discusses US foreign policy & US politics in general, Israel, Palestine & the Middle East, histories of labour and social movements, propaganda techniques of the mainstream media, the military-industrial complex and the UN to name just a few. He also talks about activism and the need for people to get together and mobilize for change (I found Chapter 6 especially interesting for this). Chomsky doesn't offer answers to the difficult questions, only suggestions as it's up to people to decide what they want for themselves and their futures - no-one should ever make those decisions for you, and I really admired that.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants to find out what's really going on in the world and why.
P.S The extensive footnotes that are online which accompany the book are also incredibly useful and thorough. ...more
CrimeInc is one of those activist groups which is either loved or loathed by fellow activists, but regardless of your personal stance with them, this CrimeInc is one of those activist groups which is either loved or loathed by fellow activists, but regardless of your personal stance with them, this book contains some useful information regarding many aspects of direct action etc. Easy to dip in and out of when needed....more
Much has been said and dismissed of Days of War, Nights of Love since it was released ten years ago, so I'll mostly stick with the positive stuff thatMuch has been said and dismissed of Days of War, Nights of Love since it was released ten years ago, so I'll mostly stick with the positive stuff that can easily be gleaned from this book if one reads it with an open mind. The layout of the book is very much adopted from the traditional cut and paste style that should put you in the mood for what you're about to read because it's purposefully done like an independent zine (lots of illustration/art/quotes/that sort of thing). It's not the kind of book that you would really sit down and read from cover to cover, it definitely falls into that 'dip in and out of' category for me.
Subject matter wise, it picks themed words to form an A-Z (A is for Anarchy and so forth) and touches upon the usual suspects that you'd expect to find: capitalism, culture, freedom, gender, history, identity, media etc. The material for the subjects are all from anarchist point of views so this serves as an interesting introduction to various anarchist ways of thinking for those new to it. Veterans of the subject can still find interesting little tit bits here and there, throughout the book, and the section on 'Work' which features testimonials from various Crimethinc people, is especially good.
This is the first book I've read from the Crimethinc collective, and although the material can be terribly repetitive at times, there are a lot of little gems in here. Plus, any book that encourages people to take control of their own lives and find a way to really 'live' instead of just existing, is always going to get an extra star from me....more
This is another of those books that I've waited far too long to read. V For Vendetta is a contemporary classic for many reasons and I couldn't agree mThis is another of those books that I've waited far too long to read. V For Vendetta is a contemporary classic for many reasons and I couldn't agree more. The story of a masked anarchist who wants to bring an end to fascist rule in an England in the not too distant future, was always going to appeal to me, but it's Alan Moore's prose which really brings this concept alive. It's witty, political, dark and satirical, what more could you ask for? England prevails :)...more
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