Anarcho-Syndicalism

pacavegano@bookwyrm.social reviewed Anarcho-Syndicalism by Rudolf Rocker

None

4 stars

This short book is very interesting, perhaps most as a history of organized labor, Anarchism and Syndicalism. It is all the more interesting for having been written during the Spanish Civil War, just before the start of World War II, and for the epilogue, written nine years later, shortly after the end of WWII, which provides an update on the state of Anarcho-Syndicalism in the world at that time. The introduction, with biographical information about Rocker, and the story of how the book came into being, is also valuable. Despite featuring prominently in the subtitle, the theory of Anarcho-Syndicalism gets less attention than the practice.

Ben E P reviewed Anarcho-Syndicalism by Rudolf Rocker

Review of 'Anarcho-Syndicalism' on 'GoodReads'

4 stars

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.

Svalbard Sleeper District reviewed Anarcho-Syndicalism by Rudolf Rocker

Review of 'Anarcho-Syndicalism' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

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.

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