Anarchist Portraits

by Paul Avrich

From the celebrated Russian intellectuals Michael Bakunin and Peter Kropotkin to the little-known Australian bootmaker and radical speaker J. W. Fleming, this book probes the lives and personalities of representative anarchists.

Genres: History, Biography, Politics, Nonfiction, Anarchism

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

"He was a noted historian and professor who authored many books on anarchist history, including books on the Haymarket Riot, the Modern School Movement, the Russian Revolution and a collection of oral interviews with American anarchists titled Anarchist Voices. Avrich was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize several times and in 1984 he won the Philip Taft Labor History Award."
From Infoshop News obituary http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?...

Reviews

[Argos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Öncelikle 20 yıllık bir emek ürünü olan bu çalışmaya saygımı ileterek başlayalım. Dünyadaki anarşik hareketler ve anarşizm, bu ideolojiye gönül, emek ve canını vermiş kişiler aracılığıyla anlatılıyor. Özellikle Bakunin üzerinden Marksizm ile anarşizmin karşıtlıkları açık olarak anlatılıyor. Kropotkin gibi anarşist komunizmi savunan anarşistler bile Marks’ın hem ekonomik hem de özellikle proleterya diktatörlüğü konusundaki fikirlerine keskin bir karşı duruş içindeler.

Lenin’in anarşizme yönelik düşüncelerinin Troçki’den çok farklı ve olumlu olduğunu yazıyor P. Avrich. Ayrıca anarşist liderlet arasında Max Stirner’in bireyselciliği, Bakunin’in kolektivistciliği, Proudhon’un karşılıklı yararcılığı, Kropotkin’in anarşist komunistçiliği basit ve anlaşılır cümlelerle anlatılıyor.

Bir referans niteliğinde olan bu kitaba eleştirilerim ise, Durruti gibi bir efsanenin kitapta yer almaması, keza Emma Goldman’a benzer haksızlığın yapılmasının yanında kitaptaki portrelerin Amerika’daki yaşadıkları sürelerin gereksiz uzun anlatılmış olması, bazı yerlerde nerdeyse kahvaltı menüsünü anlatacak kadar ayrıntılarla doldurulmuş olmasıdır. Bu hem kitabın okunmasını zorlaştırıyor hem de kitap özünden uzaklaşıyor.

Bence bu kitap Ursula Le Guin’in “Mülksüzler”i ile eş zamanlı okunursa çok yararlı olur. Sonuçta anarşizm veya anarşist hareketlerin, gençlik için isyan ateşi doğurması dışında, ütopya olarak bir dünya düzeni özlemi olarak kalacağı kanaatim pekişti.

[Steve Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An altogether fun, fantastic book. Twenty or so short sketches of both the leading and some lesser known anarchists from the Golden Age of Anarchism. Avrich is a fine writer and clearly is sympathetic to the anarchists he portrays, while still remaining objective and setting forth the flaws in both their reasonings and character. Unlike many other books on anarchism, this is not weighed down by either too in-depth descriptions of the individual anarchist's political theories (where one thinks he is in a very boring graduate-level political science course) or by extremely horrid writing (where one thinks the author is just another crazed fan of anarchism who may have forgot to take his medications for a month or so).
In the early part of the book, Avrich describes how the early anarchists were referred to as "internationalists," which probably explains why this sports-loving anarchist has never has never had any interest in the Olympics, despite all of Madison Avenue's best efforts through the years.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone interested in Chicago history, along with his book on the Haymarket Riots. Hey, why don't they teach us in high school that one of our Presidents was assassinated by an anarchist (McKinley)! Go visit Bughouse Square and pay homage.....

[AC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book - I was mainly interested in Bakunin, Nachaev and Kropotkin, and read those portions only. The discussion of the ideological dimension is clear, but not very complicated or demanding. Avrich is clearly a good source for this topic, and thnx owed to the individual who rec'd it to me.

[John Neumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book. I was particularly interested in the description of the life of Nestor Makhno, who is depicted here as attempting to establish anarchist communes in southern Russia during the Bolshevic revolution and not as the leader of a reign of terror, as described by Mennonite writers who were impacted by his soldiers.
I was intrigued by the life and thought of Gustav Landauer and will see if I can dig up some of his writings.

[Alan Eyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bakunin, Kropotkin, Makhno…the Paris Commune, the Haymarket Affair, the Kronstadt Rebelllion = vaguely familiar names and forgotten dates. But one time, not so long ago, it was the stuff of life and death, of heroes and villains, principles and possibilities……

[Juan Conatz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the book that convinced me to become an anarchist in 2007, when I was 24 years old. I don't remember much of the book now, but surely something that convinces you of a worldview deserves at the very least four stars.

[Craig Bolton]

Anarchist Portraits by Paul Avrich (1990)