Alexander Berkman

In 1892, Alexander Berkman - Russian migr and anarchist - attempted to assassinate industrialist Henry Clay Frick, as retribution for the massacre of workers in the Homestead strike and an incitement to revolution. Sentenced to twenty-two years in prison, Berkman struggled to make sense of that shadowy and brutalized world. His account of his ordeal is one of the great personal confessions and acts of testimony in American literature.

Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist

Emma Goldman

First published in 1929, this book by one of the most gifted writers for the anarchist movement answers some of the charges made against it and presents the case for communist anarchism clearly and intelligently. Thorough and well stated, it is today regarded as a classic statement of the cause's goals and methods.

The ABC of Anarchism

The Bolshevik Myth

The Russian tragedy

For those who have questions about Anarchism, or seek a better world, Berkman has the answers.

What is Anarchism?

Mother Earth

In "Now & After," Alexander Berkman presents a profound exploration of anarchism's principles, articulated through a blend of philosophical discourse and personal narrative. The book is a reflection on the societal structures that bind individuals and a rallying cry for revolutionary thought. Berkman's literary style is direct and impassioned, capturing the urgency of his ideals while remaining tethered to a pragmatic understanding of human nature. This work is not just a manifesto; it serves as an intellectual canvas, painting a vision of a harmonious society liberated from the shackles of oppression. Alexander Berkman was a prominent figure in the anarchist movement of the early 20th century, an experience that deeply influenced his writings. His tumultuous life, marked by imprisonment and activism, fueled his disdain for government and capitalism, leading to an unyielding pursuit of social justice. His insights are informed not only by philosophical study but by firsthand encounters with the injustices he sought to dismantle, offering readers a unique perspective from someone who lived the struggles he critiques. "Now & After" is highly recommended for readers interested in political theory, activism, and anarchism. Berkman's fervent prose and visionary stance offer a compelling invitation to reimagine the future. This work challenges us to confront the status quo and inspires a commitment to social change, making it an essential read for anyone invested in understanding the dynamics of power and resistance. In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience: - A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes. - The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists. - A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing. - A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings. - Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

Enriched edition. The ABC of Communist Anarchism

Now & After

A monthly magazine devoted to social science and literature.

Mother Earth Bulletin

Classic exposition of the ideas of anarchist communism.

A.B.C. of Anarchism

Reproduction of the original: Selected Works of Voltairine De Cleyre by Alexander Berkman

Selected Works of Voltairine De Cleyre

Now and After: The ABC of Communist Anarchism is an introduction to the principles of anarchism and anarchist communism written by Alexander Berkman. The anarchist movement was under siege during the 1920s and, in an effort to revive the movement, the Jewish Anarchist Federation in New York asked Berkman to write an introduction to anarchism intended for the general public. By presenting the principles of anarchism in plain language, the New York anarchists hoped that readers might be swayed to support the movement or, at a minimum, that the book might improve the image of anarchism and anarchists in the public's eyes. Berkman's work explains anarchist philosophy in terms that uninitiated readers can understand. Because of its presentation of anarchist philosophy in plain language, Now and After has become one of the best-known introductions to anarchism in print.

Now & After: The ABC of Communist Anarchism

Murray Bookchin

Ida Mett

Upon their scandalous deportation from the United States in 1919, famous anarchist writers and activists Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman were greeted like heroes by the new Bolshevik government in Russia. Berkman described it as "the most sublime day of my life." And yet he would flee the country after only two years. Belarus-born Ida Mett, who went through a similar experience at the time, also wrote a harrowing account of the Red Army's brutal massacre at the Kronstadt Uprising before she too went into exile. How did each of these figures become so deeply disillusioned with Russia so quickly? And why, within a few years, did they all leave the country forever? 1917 offers a unique alternative perspective on the early years of the Russian Revolution through the narrative perspective of these three eyewitnesses. Featuring an introduction by Murray Bookchin, this book emphasizes the rarely discussed anarchist hopes for a democratic October revolution, while also critiquing the increasingly authoritarian responses of Bolshevik leaders at the time. Published for the centennial of the Russian revolutions, 1917 contains four essays by Emma Goldman, Alexander Berkman, Ida Mett, and Bookchin, as well as a poem by Dan Georgakas, that analyze, assess, celebrate, and bemoan both the wild successes and the bitter failures of the revolution.

Revolution in Russia and Its Aftermath

1917

Le Mythe bolchevik est un témoignage rédigé par l'auteur à partir d'un journal qu'il a tenu pendant son séjour en Russie de 1920 à 1922, vraisemblablement le seul de cette période décisive. Son objet essentiel est la vie profonde des millions d'êtres humains qui n'ont vécu que pour la Révolution, dislocation bénéfique, "dislocation totale de la vie". Il pourrait être intitulé "Choses vues et entendues sur la scène révolutionnaire". Rencontres, petits ou graves incidents, portraits (en l'occurrence Kropotkine, Lénine, Makhno) se succèdent ; le visage de la Révolution se complexifie, les apparences évoluent, se défont voire s'effondrent, des inquiétudes naissent. Sous ce polyptique de la Révolution soviétique, on peut distinguer trois moments distincts : l'enthousiasme spontané devant "la plus grande Révolution du monde" et l'indignation quand un orateur anarchiste, brisant l'unanimité heureuse, ose évoquer des conflits possibles entre anarchistes et communistes ; le doute qui naît quant à la nature et à l'authenticité de cette Révolution. N'est-ce pas Kropotkine qui a raison quand il déclare : "Ils ont montré comment la Révolution ne doit pas être faite" ? les doutes qui s'effacent et laissent place à un jugement critique d'autant plus sévère qu'il est amplement confirmé par la répression ouverte et sans scrupule de la rébellion prolétarienne de Kronstadt. Il ne s'agit plus de la dictature du prolétariat mais d'une autre forme de dictature sur le prolétariat. La NEP procède à l'installation d'un capitalisme d'Etat. Le bolchévisme se caractérise par la substitution du Parti aux Soviets de telle sorte que le nom de "république soviétique" équivaut à une usurpation. Contrairement aux attentes des masses révolutionnaires, la Révolution bolchévique, loin d'aboutir à une société émancipée, donne naissance à une nouvelle forme de domination. En termes machiavéliens, de nouveaux Grands, de nouveaux maîtres sont apparus pour dominer le peuple. Bref, la Révolution bolchévique, en tant que Révolution, est un mythe.

Journal 1920-1922

Le Mythe Bolchevik

William Morris

Mikhail Aleksandrovich Bakunin

Peter Kropotkin

Maurice Brinton

Louise Michel

Voltairine de Cleyre

On 18 March 1871, the Parisian working class began a rebellion that shook the foundations of European society. Laborers seized direct control over their city, expelling their government and capitalist rulers. These revolutionary men and women declared Paris an independent municipality and commune where they would collectively manage their society through new institutions of their own creation, providing for their own welfare and defense. The Commune was annihilated 71 days later in one of the deadliest campaigns in French military history, La Semaine Sanglante, "The Bloody Week," during which over 30,000 men, women, and children were murdered for their revolutionary aspirations. Despite the brutality of its destruction, the Paris Commune uprising inspired revolutionaries the world over. In the near century-and-a-half that has passed since the Commune's destruction, anarchists and libertarian-socialists across the generations have looked to the 1871 Paris Commune, seeking to learn from its example--both its strengths and its limitations. The Commune: Paris, 1871, is a new collection of writings and critical reflections on the Paris Commune by classic anarchist and libertarian-socialist authors like Louise Michel, William Morris, Mikhail Bakunin, Peter Kropotkin, Voltairine de Cleyre, Alexander Berkman and Maurice Brinton.

Alexander Berkman

Books

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