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A review by marthmuffins
Means and Ends: The Revolutionary Practice of Anarchism in Europe and the United States by Zoe Baker
4.0
Means and Ends: The Revolutionary Practise of Anarchism in Europe and the United States - 4/5
An interesting and engaging introduction to the both the ideological discourse in 19th and early 20th century anarchism in Europe and the USA and into the practical means taken by anarchists in this era to achieve their ends, from strikes, schools, sabotage and more. It can be a little dry to read at times, definitely coming across as the reworking of a PhD thesis, but it's still readable and avoids relying on jargon which would needlessly alienate readers.
The only other major flaw is one that the text freely acknowledges: it's focus on just Europe and the US, and on material Baker could both access and read, does limit the work and largely excludes strains of anarchist thought from the rest of the world, only really cropping up when figures from those other movements interact with European or American groups. However, this is something the text freely acknowledges and it encourages it's readers to keep this in mind whilst reading, pushing them to engage with anarchist writings from Africa, Asia, South & Central America, and Oceania instead of relying on solely Europe or US-based writers.
Overall, definitely a worthwhile read for those looking for an overview of anarchist thought and practise from this period and place. Recommended!
An interesting and engaging introduction to the both the ideological discourse in 19th and early 20th century anarchism in Europe and the USA and into the practical means taken by anarchists in this era to achieve their ends, from strikes, schools, sabotage and more. It can be a little dry to read at times, definitely coming across as the reworking of a PhD thesis, but it's still readable and avoids relying on jargon which would needlessly alienate readers.
The only other major flaw is one that the text freely acknowledges: it's focus on just Europe and the US, and on material Baker could both access and read, does limit the work and largely excludes strains of anarchist thought from the rest of the world, only really cropping up when figures from those other movements interact with European or American groups. However, this is something the text freely acknowledges and it encourages it's readers to keep this in mind whilst reading, pushing them to engage with anarchist writings from Africa, Asia, South & Central America, and Oceania instead of relying on solely Europe or US-based writers.
Overall, definitely a worthwhile read for those looking for an overview of anarchist thought and practise from this period and place. Recommended!