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11corvus11's review
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed William C. Anderson's work in As Black as Resistance, with his coauthor Zoé Samudzi, so I was very excited to see a new title coming out with his name on it. ABAR is one of my favorite anarchist texts that I have read and thus, I had high hopes for his new book: The Nation on No Map. He did not disappoint, making this book an excellent edition to the anarchist milieu and required reading for anyone interested in anarchism and/or Black radical politics.
What struck me first off in reading this is how humble the author is. He clearly wishes for this book to be presented as a prompt for organization and discussion, rather than a Bible of how to think. This does not mean that Anderson is devoid of passion. On the contrary. He balances the intensity surrounding the topics at hand with the humility of knowing one does not have all of the answers and that times and minds change. Anderson wants to share what he has learned over time rather than indoctrinate the reader into a strict set of views.
The book tackles more wide ranging anarchist thought as well as niche specifics that many on the left struggle to parse out such as the celebration of elite and celebrity Black folks, Black nationalism movements, authoritarianism among leftists (even in anti-authoritarian movements,) and the spectre of history revisionism that many people feel drawn to in order to make their voices heard and causes attended to. Anderson shows that the truth is plenty and playing into systems of oppression in order to get ahead will never work in the long run, and usually doesn't in the short either.
While I did find the book to be repetitive in some sections, this is far outweighed by Anderson's way with words. He balances style with information in ways that make heavy texts flow more easily for the reader. The foreword and afterword by big names in the anti-authoritarian game also add to the draw of the book with Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin providing an excellent summary to wrap things up. The graphic design of the print version is extraordinary. I don't know who is on AK Press' design team, but I have adored the experience of so many titles on their list both for the text and the visual and tactile elements. Anderson's words are poetic and passionate while simultaneously being grounded in reality. This is a short read with a ton of information that I would most definitely recommend.
This was also posted to my blog.
What struck me first off in reading this is how humble the author is. He clearly wishes for this book to be presented as a prompt for organization and discussion, rather than a Bible of how to think. This does not mean that Anderson is devoid of passion. On the contrary. He balances the intensity surrounding the topics at hand with the humility of knowing one does not have all of the answers and that times and minds change. Anderson wants to share what he has learned over time rather than indoctrinate the reader into a strict set of views.
The book tackles more wide ranging anarchist thought as well as niche specifics that many on the left struggle to parse out such as the celebration of elite and celebrity Black folks, Black nationalism movements, authoritarianism among leftists (even in anti-authoritarian movements,) and the spectre of history revisionism that many people feel drawn to in order to make their voices heard and causes attended to. Anderson shows that the truth is plenty and playing into systems of oppression in order to get ahead will never work in the long run, and usually doesn't in the short either.
While I did find the book to be repetitive in some sections, this is far outweighed by Anderson's way with words. He balances style with information in ways that make heavy texts flow more easily for the reader. The foreword and afterword by big names in the anti-authoritarian game also add to the draw of the book with Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin providing an excellent summary to wrap things up. The graphic design of the print version is extraordinary. I don't know who is on AK Press' design team, but I have adored the experience of so many titles on their list both for the text and the visual and tactile elements. Anderson's words are poetic and passionate while simultaneously being grounded in reality. This is a short read with a ton of information that I would most definitely recommend.
This was also posted to my blog.
zaraven's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Anderson argues that abolition requires an end to statehood / nations, and that Black people need to be (and already are) building experiments in alternative ways of living and meeting each other’s survival needs outside of the state. I appreciate all of his points and the ways he pulls from and cites a variety of Black revolutionary thinkers - Lucy Parsons, Sylvia Wynter, Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin, Aime Cesaire, Angela Davis, Saidiya Hartman, Frantz Fanon, Huey Newton, the list goes on.
where I struggled with this book was the lack of deep dives and the lack of specificity. If you’re going to tell me to be cautious about authoritarian leftist movements I am so here for that critique but say more and be as specific as possible!! if you’re going to say that Black folks are already building experiments in survival outside the state, I’m so here for that and agree but would have loved to see an exploration of 1-2 of those experiments, what’s going well, what challenges they’re facing, how they’re navigating those challenges. If you’re going to tell me about the failures of the Marxist movement in Guayana, tell me what happened! I just felt like there was a lot thrown out there and I have my own ideas about the specifics of any of these points, which is why they so deeply resonated, but would have hoped the book would have gotten more specific about fewer things.
One thing I really liked is how Anderson touches on this question of the shortcomings of nationalism even within sovereignty movements, because that’s definitely something that I’ve been giving a lot of thought as I try to figure out how best to support sovereignty movements while holding critiques of nationalism and statehood, and also recognizing the need to resist colonization at least to some extent on the terms of the oppressor (eg I think about Hawai’i, and how the spoken language was banned and there had never been a written language, and colonizers emphasized the supremacy of the written language, and so to fight back Hawaiians developed a written language and a newspaper to counter colonial narratives). So I appreciated seeing this beginning to be explored but would have really loved a more in depth exploration.
Still really enjoyed this book!!!
where I struggled with this book was the lack of deep dives and the lack of specificity. If you’re going to tell me to be cautious about authoritarian leftist movements I am so here for that critique but say more and be as specific as possible!! if you’re going to say that Black folks are already building experiments in survival outside the state, I’m so here for that and agree but would have loved to see an exploration of 1-2 of those experiments, what’s going well, what challenges they’re facing, how they’re navigating those challenges. If you’re going to tell me about the failures of the Marxist movement in Guayana, tell me what happened! I just felt like there was a lot thrown out there and I have my own ideas about the specifics of any of these points, which is why they so deeply resonated, but would have hoped the book would have gotten more specific about fewer things.
One thing I really liked is how Anderson touches on this question of the shortcomings of nationalism even within sovereignty movements, because that’s definitely something that I’ve been giving a lot of thought as I try to figure out how best to support sovereignty movements while holding critiques of nationalism and statehood, and also recognizing the need to resist colonization at least to some extent on the terms of the oppressor (eg I think about Hawai’i, and how the spoken language was banned and there had never been a written language, and colonizers emphasized the supremacy of the written language, and so to fight back Hawaiians developed a written language and a newspaper to counter colonial narratives). So I appreciated seeing this beginning to be explored but would have really loved a more in depth exploration.
Still really enjoyed this book!!!
pink_distro's review
4.0
very grounded, practical book. focuses on dropping the mythology, dogma, or romanticization and outlining the struggles and tactics needed for the here and now. his background in migrant justice organizing + his analysis of displacement, (internal) migration, etc. of Black ppls is very illuminating.
jkiebo's review
5.0
It’s going to take something pretty special to dethrone this as my top read of the year. This book is short and concise, yet gripping in its realism and fluctuations of optimism and pessimism. A great primer for taking the next steps into anarchism as a philosophy and as a solution, this is urgent while at the same time being a phenomenal, digestible read. Highly recommend to anyone wondering about No Gods, No Masters, No Maps, and No Nations!
jv42's review
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
This book is remarkable, a really important contribution that's approachable and doesn't get bogged down in arcane concepts. It's real, it's grounded, and it's powerful. My single quibble is that it retraces ground a lot and can become a bit repetitive, but nonetheless, highly recommend.
farrahsoa's review
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
A good introduction into Black anarchy. Great historical references and solutions.
cblueweaver's review
The Nation on No Map serves as a clarion call for black anarchism, challenging black radicals and anarchic activists (and especially both at once) to come to together and attend specifically to the challenges of nationhood and blackness in the twenty-first century.