Anarchy Alive!
Anarchy Alive!: Anti-Authoritarian Politics from Practice to Theory is a book by Uri Gordon that investigates anarchist theory and practice.[1] An expanded reworking of the author's PhD thesis at the University of Oxford, the book was released by Pluto Press, a London-based radical publisher, in November 2007.[2][3] It is presented as "an anarchist book about anarchism",[2] and assumes some background knowledge and sympathy for anarchism on the part of the reader.[4] Gordon considers his approach in the book to have many commonalities with that of anthropologist David Graeber, author of Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology.[5]
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Uri Gordon |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Subject | Anarchism |
| Genre | Political philosophy, sociology |
| Publisher | Pluto Press |
Publication date | November 2007 |
| Pages | 183 |
| ISBN | 0-7453-2683-8 |
| OCLC | 154769337 |
| 320.5/7 22 | |
| LC Class | HX833 .G626 2008 |
Contents
Anarchy Alive! was not designed to further debates about the finer points of anarchist theory within academia, nor as a history of ideas, but rather to serve as a tool for activists trying to engage with theory—leading anarchist scholar Alex Prichard to characterise it as "a user’s manual for anarchist activism".[6] It is divided into six chapters, addressing anarchism as a political culture, anarchism as an ideology, anarchist forms of organisation and power, anarchism and violence, anarchism and technology, and anarchism and nationalism (through the case study of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict).[2]
Reception
Anarchy Alive! was favourably reviewed in journals including Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed, New International and Anarchist Studies.[1][6][7][8][9][3] Reviewing the book in Anarchist Studies, Alex Prichard predicted that "not only will Anarchy Alive! become required reading in the anarchist movement, but it will have a sizeable impact on the academy … this will be a defining text in anarchist circles for the next few years at the very least".[6] Richard Swift, in a review for New International, called the book "a short and thoughtful account", and granted it a four-out-out-of-four star rating.[4] The CrimethInc. collective recommended the work for its analysis of power and authority in an anarchist context.[10] Freedom reviewer Tom Jennings dissented, calling into question the theoretical coherence of the book.[11] Another critical view came from the Socialist Standard, which although conceding that the book was "well-written and can be read on a know-your-opponent basis", denounced the book for its anarchist critique of representative democracy.[12]
Citations
- Jarach, Lawrence. "An Academic Shines". Anarchy: A Journal of Desire Armed. Archived from the original on 2008-12-01. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- Gordon 2007
- Morse, Chuck (August 23, 2007). "The Past, the Future, and Around the World: Four New Books about Anarchism". Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- Swift, Richard (July 2008). "Anarchy Alive!". New International (413). Archived from the original on 22 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- Gordon 2007, p. 7
- Prichard, Alex. "Reviews". Anarchist Studies. 16 (1). Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- Poole, Steven (March 22, 2008). "Rock, race and riots". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- Wurman, Joanna. "El Anarquismo Judío de Hoy en Día" (PDF). La Palabra Israelita. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- Pantziarka, Pan (February 19, 2008). "Anarchy Alive!". London Book Review. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- b. traven (September 3, 2009). "New Sticker: Power vs. Authority". CrimethInc. Far East Blog. CrimethInc. Ex-Workers' Collective. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
- Jennings, Tom (February 13, 2009). "Reviews: Anarchy Alive!". Freedom. Freedom Press. pp. 15–16. Archived from the original on 15 May 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2009.
- ALB. "Anarchists against democracy". Socialist Standard. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2008.