Black Flag 217 index
No Gods No Masters book 1
edited by Daniel Guerin
Overall, this is a book I would recommend, but it does require a previousknowledge both of what anarchism is, and of history over the course of itsdevelopment. It is most useful as a guide to the progression of anarchistideas, starting with the much-maligned Stirner, through the equally malignedProudhon, to Bakunin and Kropotkin.
My main complaint is the inaccurate transliteration of Russian names, thusNechaev becomes Netchayev and the Marxist stooge Utin becomes Outine. Bothare perfectly understandable to French speakers, but to someone in Indonesia,say, reading this with only Marxist texts as background, this might not seemimmediately obvious.
As an anthology of writings, the advantages are that debates can beillustrated from both sides, for example the debate over communism orcollectivism in the Jura Federation, or the inclusion of Marx on the Commune.
As well as the four well known thinkers, the book also gives flavours fromothers less featured, particularly in English translation, such as Guillaumeand Schwitzguébel, both important figures in the Jura Federation. Mostimportantly, Guerin puts these people and their ideas into a historicalcontext in the shape of the great proletarian upheavals of 19th centuryFrance - 1848 and 1871.
The French bias is only to be expected - I¹m not sure if Book 2 correctsthis, but large and significant areas and important thinkers are left out.While I have no great quibble with leaving out the English liberals sobeloved of the professorial school of anarchism, such things as the HaymarketMartyrs and the period of propaganda by deed are omitted.
However, the class emphasis is one of the strengths of the book. Guerinobviously spent some time arguing with Marxists, as Book 1 provides plenty ofammunition against Marx himself, rather than the much easier target of Lenin.The material around the break up of the First International gives a muchclearer illustration of the mean-spirited side of Marx¹s character, andGuerin goes out of his way to be fair to him.
At £12, it¹s a bit pricey, particularly as it¹s one volume of a two book set,but get your library to order both, and if you¹re a bit weak on history readup on some of that first so you get more of a feel for the book.