Description: A collection of essays and articles from the Ukranian revolutionary, Nestor Makhno, who fought against encroaching Bolshevik terror during the Russian Revolution. The Struggle Against the State and other Essays sheds valuable insight onto the man and the movement that bore his name.
Customer Reviews
Review Summary: Half rhetoric, half history.
Date: 2002-12-23
Details: This book offers an interesting insight into the Second Russian Revolution. It is a collection of essays written by the military leader of the Ukranian anarchists who fought first along side of and then against the Bolsheviks. Mr. A. Skirda also deserves a mention for his excellent translation.
While this book is certainly not of any philosophical weight, it offers several interesting arguments against the state and capital. Makhno also includes in his essays contemporary events, and his commentary. This is almost a handbook for organisation along eglatarian lines.
I found this book well worth the short read time. It has given me invaluable insight into the methods of the Bolsheviks and their "counter-revolutionary" opponents. I say this is a "must-read" for anybody interested in the Second Russian Revolution and the Soviet State that followed.
Review Summary: Excellent Collection
Date: 2001-04-29
Details: This book presents some excellent essays by Nestor Makhno, military leader of the anarchists in the Ukraine during the Russian Civil War. Makhno's work is not well-known, but he explains anarchism quite lucidly and gives the reader good reasons to prefer it over capitalism and state socialism.
Review Summary: Excellent!
Date: 1998-11-13
Details: I had never read Nestor Makhno until I got this version of his works from AK Press, and was only vaguely familiar with his name. Now I know who he is -- the most brilliant anarchist writer of the past two hundred years. While Stirner may offer more lessons on life, Makhno offers more lessons on revolutionary struggle -- lessons which the feuding factions of would-be anarchists today would do well to learn from. I recommend this whole heartedly to every anarchist everywhere. Get this book now!
Bill White Public Relations Coordinator Utopian Anarchist Party
out of 3 Reviews
