Rudolf Rocker: Anarcho-syndicalism. (1938, Secker and Warburg)
158 pages
English language
Published Dec. 13, 1938 by Secker and Warburg.
One of the first books (different edition though) I have read about anarchism (and syndicalism) as kid and right away I felt like this really is my thing! After that I've read it couple of times atleast and even have few different editions of it.
I'd been meaning to read this for quite a while, and when I saw that Audible Anarchism had an audiobook version, I figured I'd start that way. I ended up tearing through it (with the occasional backtracking to ensure decent absorption/comprehension) and it was really enjoyable.
If you've read Homage to Catalonia, this is an even more interesting read, as Rocker was commenting on the situation in Spain as it unfolded. Of course, it's a bit sad to encounter Rocker's high hopes for the CNT-FAI fending off Franco's forces in hindsight.
In any case, it's the strongest piece of theory in support of anarchism I've yet come across. Unlike works I've read penned by Bakunin, Goldman, Parsons, etc, this relies less on firey ideological rhetoric, and grounds itself instead in a history of anarcho-syndicalist movements and orgaizations while focusing on the tendency's particularities within the socialist traditions of the 19th …
I'd been meaning to read this for quite a while, and when I saw that Audible Anarchism had an audiobook version, I figured I'd start that way. I ended up tearing through it (with the occasional backtracking to ensure decent absorption/comprehension) and it was really enjoyable.
If you've read Homage to Catalonia, this is an even more interesting read, as Rocker was commenting on the situation in Spain as it unfolded. Of course, it's a bit sad to encounter Rocker's high hopes for the CNT-FAI fending off Franco's forces in hindsight.
In any case, it's the strongest piece of theory in support of anarchism I've yet come across. Unlike works I've read penned by Bakunin, Goldman, Parsons, etc, this relies less on firey ideological rhetoric, and grounds itself instead in a history of anarcho-syndicalist movements and orgaizations while focusing on the tendency's particularities within the socialist traditions of the 19th and 20th centuries. It recalls Kropotkin in its push towards providing a path forward, but is obviously more recent than, say, Conquest of Bread.
Rocker does a lot of great service in presenting historical currents and events in his detailing of anarchist movements, revolutions and ways in which the communities in question organised themselves, however I found a little less in the way of theoretical exploration of concepts than expected.
I'd been wanting to read something semi-modern on anarchy. This pretty well fit the bill. It's not a particularly interesting book though it clarified a notion I already sensed: that anarchists and Marxists have a lot in common. Both want workers to organize and revolt, with the goal of eliminating capitalism and the state. With such a vast and good goal in common, I would have thought I'd see anarchists and Marxists working together more often. (Though, then again, different flavors of Marxists won't work with each other, so...)
