Peter Gelderloos (Anarchy Works)

Anarchy Works (Examples of Anarchist Ideas in Practice)
Peter Gelderloos

Well written run through of how anarchy can be a practical state(less) of affairs and a realistic goal for how people can live together and how such societies be sustained and flourish. It is peppered with examples of stateless societies including those that are consciously anarchist, those that are built on non hierarchical community or socialist principles (collective commune-ist) and those that would not recognise themselves as either anarchy or stateless which are often age old societies that have not been brought into the "modern" states within whose boundaries they have traditionally lived. Many of the references are to past societies especially those that have been colonised by invaders and those created within revolutionary times.

It is a logical journey through the realistic utopia of anarchy written by a committed anarchist who has lived within many of the stateless or anti-state communities that are described. And who has agitated for such communities. Firstly the question as to whether humans are naturally cooperative or competitive is tackled arguing that we are not naturally selfish but look to help each. This breaks down when artificial social boundaries are enforced on us, such as hierarchies, that are hijacked by individuals or groups who take advantage of others resulting in society taking the same attitude and descending into the current global capitalist nightmare that makes a few richer and richer and the many poorer and more poverty stricken. All then fight each other to climb the capitalist ladder but of course those at the top are kicking others back down. This is my analogy not the authors whose arguments are far more convincing and comprehensive. The very fact that humans live in some degree of cooperation across the globe, even if cooperating with others to the detriment of other groups, shows that we have a spirit of cooperation within us. So how to use it for the good of everyone rather than just ourselves or for the few. 

Having taken the spirit of cooperatism as a given Peter then explains how society can operate without descending into "anarchy" or at least the media's view of anarchy as everyone out for themselves. Obviously this is a very biased view as anarchy is about cooperation and collectivism rather than the neo liberal free market version of statelessness (except where the armed forces are needed to put people down and take over other's resources) which is an obvious sham. Various arguments as to why anarchy won't work in practice are knocked back including how such a society could, and indeed such societies have and do, make decisions, why anyone would work if others would share with us, why we wouldn't exploit the environment (as if it could be any worse than today), and what would stop crime if there are no prisons. There are many answers to these questions and many ways of ensuring that such a society benefits and supports everyone in a free and equal way. That is part of the anarchist view which is not to impose one version of your "truth" on others but for each person and community to find their own way. That is what being stateless is all about - not enforcing rules but encouraging good behaviour. There are times when it may be necessary to exclude people who are not cooperating and some of the examples given end in death which I'm not comfortable with but, again, that is part and parcel of self governance.

The next part of the book deals with how we can create such societies whether by stepping outside existing structures or through civil unrest and revolution. This latter is very likely to be required as any working anarchist society existing within the current world order will attract the attention of existing power structures either to stop the rest of the population looking at it and saying yeah, we don't need hierarchies and the state, or to take over resources held within the targeted communities. It's also a moot point as to whether isolationist communities are anarchist even if left alone as they are not pushing for this to be the new world order. Maybe again, each to their own. The necessity of having a global revolution is emphasised as free and stateless societies living in geographic areas will be targets for non anarchist neighbouring states. This part of the book covers how anarchist communities have had to, and will need to, fight a violent fight where necessary. And necessary it is and will be. Again, I'm less comfortable with the idea that violence is justified and righteous as it's a slippery slope from fighting outside invaders to killing those within your society who don't agree with your opinion. A long slope admittedly. Peter has written other books about how the principle of non violence has been detrimental to the aims of true libertarians, environmentalists and other like minded movements.

A very thought provoking and inspirational book that holds no punches as to how necessary it is for humans to move to anarchist societies, how it is inevitable either through revolution or due to capitalist prompted global societal and environmental breakdowns, and how we need to embrace rather than fight what will be the end game of a global stateless society. As it was in the beginning of human society. Well worth reading whether you view yourself as an anarchist or not.

Mike Carter (One Man and His Bike)

One Man and His Bike
Mike Carter



A very readable and and often very funny account of how Mike cycled around the coast of Great Britain. The trials of cycling hit the spot but it's more about the scenery and people who he meets en route. He comes to the conclusion that Britain is far from broken as the politicians and media would have us believe. The acts of kindness blend with his experiences of those living alternative lifestyles to give him a different perspective on life in general and his in particular. I don't know if he's still running, or rather cycling, from or towards unknown forces; in a strange way I hope he isn't and has found peace like the ferryman he meets but there again this book may not have been written without that in his blood. Makes a rainy commute across London seem like a walk in the park.

Steve Stammers (Arsenal - the official biography)

Arsenal - the official biography
Steve Stammers



or The compelling history of an amazing club. Agree with the last part but to be honest this history leaves a lot out and glosses over the more "interesting" incidents I guess cos it's an official biography. Goes from the very start of The Arsenal in Woolwich before they were called Arsenal up until 2008 glossing over the 3 years (and counting) we were trophyless. Anyway the good times have come again as FA Cup holders and about to retain it and finish 2nd. And the 20th year of celebrating St Totteringham Day (google it) - will would be if it had been celebrated 20 years ago. An interesting read and full of facts but not sure if anyone but a Gooner would find it fascinating. Not much social context or wider football context. I enjoyed it especially from 1970 onwards which is when me and my mate started supporting them from afar in the west country and emulated Charlie George's legendary goal celebration when we scored which wasn't often for me as a full back. So, a good read but not sure I'd bother with equivalent from Chelski or ManUre.

Thomas Mann (Buddenbrooks)

Buddenbrooks
Thomas Mann



I very readable book charting the decline of a merchant family based in a middling German sea town. Great descriptive writing and character development a bit like Dickens with similarly fatalistic themes. It starts with the successes of the family and how two brothers grow up - one heading up the firm completely obsessed with position in society and the other a wanderer more inclined to satisfy his own needs and to worry about his mostly imagined ailments. Their sister sits between the two and having glimpsed true love and happiness with a radical from a lower class is bullied by her parents and older brother into an unhappy marriage for status which turns out to be based on a sham anyway. Things just get worse for her and although I felt the most sympathy with this character and put her decisions down to societal pressures on women at that time by the end of the book she is seen as as bad as the rest. The elder brother has a brief fling for love which both know must end and then marries having a seemingly satisfactory life. The younger brother has wild dalliances ending up married and then abused.

The latter part follows the only son of the merchant and his ill health and love of music rather than commerce. A disappointment to the father who he rebels against in a withdrawn way rather than fighting out. His future seems both precarious and unlikely with a fitting and perhaps predictable conclusion to the book.

Early on in the book the revolutions of 1848 are touched upon with some humour although looking from a different angle it shows the arrogance and authority held by the merchant ruling class who have only just ousted the landed gentry from power. These class themes run through the book alongside the analogy of the fate of the family in much the same way that Dickens' stories do. There is humour here in the way that family members act although, again, not as sharp as Dickens but maybe there is something lost in translation despite the obvious work by the translator to bring what I assume are German word plays into English.

Overall I came away not really liking any of the characters and maybe that's the effect meant when written around 1900 that the merchant class will fade away due to interbreeding, self loathing and lax morals. The catastrophes of wars around this time culminating in WWI and the rise of American capitalist dominance in later years changed what I think Mann was expecting of the bourgeoisie position in society but still an interesting history of the individuals building up German trade at that time.

Why It's Still Kicking Off Everywhere (Paul Mason)

Why It's Still Kicking Off Everywhere: The New Global Revolution
Paul Mason



An update to this British journalist's original book looking at the 20 reasons driving the protests following the recent global banking collapse and subsequent recession. The book focuses on the use of technology and social networks by the protesters and how it's made their protests different to previous ones. It concentrates on the non-hierarchical and spontaneous nature of protests and how people, mainly youth, are disillusioned with establishment bodies including trade unions. Scope is from Egypt to Wall Street encompassing inner city riots, squatting of farms through to the Occupy square take overs. There is comparison with previous protests going back to the French revolution and those of 1848 and then the 1930s recession. Analysis is given on the similarities and differences which I won't try to replicate here. It's a really well written book with a good mix of personal stories, the guy is a journalist after all, and theoretical and practical analysis going way back. There is some attempt to predict the future but as Paul says this may or may not happen as he thinks it may. There could be more analysis of why technology may help these horizontal or non hierarchical protests succeed where many others have failed with out the backing, or forming, of hierarchical and formal groups. To my mind simply having the ability to bring people together across the world virtually and quickly to camps and protests for short periods won't necessarily replace the world order. Maybe the point is that it has such a reach in such a short timescale (seconds) that more people are influenced than could ever be before. The question of whether many protesters are temporary and the premise that much of this is economically led leads me to wonder whether the enthusiasm for change will continue if the economy picks up. Paul doesn't pretend to have the answers for these questions. This book was published a couple of years ago and it's references to the rise of Islam has missed the major part currently played by the Islam State. Another interesting angle is the place of journalism and media groups when so much real time non-edited and seemingly raw information is instantly available and streamed. A very interesting book and well written. Worth reading.

The Collected Stories (Dylan Thomas)

Dylan Thomas
The Collected Stories



In the autumn me and a few mates went on a weekend cycling jaunt from The Gower to Pembroke, cycled past Dylan Thomas' house at Fernhill and visited his Laugharne boat house (http://jdwhols.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/last-of-summer-wine.html). Given it's the centenary of his birth I decided that there was a calling to read him as not ventured into his books before. After unsuccessfully trying to get a cheap second hand introduction to his prose I discover that my dad has an anthology which I borrow. 

It may be my current state of mind (this first bit written in December 2014) but the start of this book does seem very very dark what with wandering around doom laden welsh hills, unjoyful sex and death. Fascinating though and very readable. The style reminds me of James Joyce crossed with William Burroughs - a slightly surrealist edge with vivid descriptions of characters covered by a foreboding storyline where you fear the worst. At least I do.

The middle part is written in the late 30s (later in the decade than the first part) and is about memories growing up in Swansea taken from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog. Next is three chapters from Adventures in the Skin Trade written in the war about moving to London and bizarre carryings on. These haven't got such a dark psychedelic edge to them as the first part and to be honest are a bit of light relief although hardly a comedy. Some are very funny and all have a brilliant insight into people's behaviours, thoughts and feelings. There are a lot of times that I recognise Thomas' insights in modern character depictions often in telly comedy for instance the way that teenagers talk nineteen to the dozen repeating the same few words and depictions of drunkenness. And to be honest I recognize a bit of myself in some of the anecdotes. I won't tell which ones.

We finish with some short stories, more like essays, from post war then for the nuts and port course a few very early stories the last in draft. Overall it's given me a taste for Thomas and I'll have to search out his poetry. I usually struggle with poetry but maybe it's time for me to dip my toe, if not dive, into that artistry much like we did in the cold autumnal waters of Amroth in Pembrokeshire back when I was a young man.

Eros and Civilisation (Herbert Marcuse)

Herbert Marcuse
Eros and Civilisation




I saw this book referenced in another which I read earlier in the year thought it looked interesting and put it on my Amazon wish list. Having received for christmas and having flicked through it I realised that it's a bit more heavy duty than a quick skip through sex and society and is an analysis of Freudian thought as related to society and theory of freedom or liberty within society. Knowing nothing about Freud except that all men are obsessed with their mothers, apparently, and probably I'm incorrect in that perception, I start reading in trepidation with google to hand to understand new concepts that Herbert probably assumes his reader knows all about. To be honest my googling is minimal which is due to the clear way in which the concepts are introduced and explained rather than any previous knowledge on my part. I won't try and summarise the entire book but I'm immersed in Freudian concepts that I've only read about in name such as id, ego, superego and the pleasure and reality principles.

We start with how our instincts for pleasure have, necessarily, been repressed in order to keep us as individuals alive and therefore allowing society to flourish and we go on to how this internalised repression has developed into institutional societal repression to the extent that it's gone beyond it's original purpose, to allow us to survive as individuals and a species whilst still gaining pleasure, and moved into the realms of despotic control where a few gain maximum pleasure, as far as they can, whilst the rest of us suffer.

Much is made of the alienation of work and the theory seems to be that all productive work must be alienating to an extent as it's time spent not satisfying our basic instincts. I'm not sure I agree with that entirely but maybe that's because I've been conditioned to think that work is good as it helps society. Which is exactly the sort of repression of the id or basic instincts that Freud is talking about. He has a pessimistic view of civilisation as we needed repression of our instincts and also of ourselves as humans to progress and if we try to gain freedom the whole of society will unravel back to an anarchic state where everyone does just what they want to the detriment of both their long term survival and the detriment of others. Marcuse seems to be proposing a different future where as the amount of time we need to work to survive is reduced then we may become more collective as a society and sharing (to each as is their need) and gain individual freedom and happiness that way. This seems to be pointing to a communist / Marxist / socialist / collectivist anarchism future. There is still the issue of time and the fact that we can't attain true happiness as we know that time is limited and our happiness is fleeting. In fact remembering happy times is best because our memories don't put a timescale or end point in that happy memory. Death obviously comes into this regarding time and as we are likely to find happiness in being at one with our id, rather than struggling for survival, then finding gratification through peace, or nirvana, maybe the ultimate happiness. And death is the ultimate peacefulness.

The epilogue talks about psychotherapy and the fact that it's cures are so that one can operate within society which is necessarily repressive. Therefore it is to ensure that your personality, id, can operate within a sick society. Thereby teaching you to enforce repression on your free spirit or basic instincts. Therapy is therefore "a course in resignation" forcing your instinct, id, to be repressed enough to conform to the norm to enable it to survive society and implied that it gives up hope of full happiness. From this personal viewpoint as society becomes less repressive and libertarian then there will be less repression of your instincts and therefore we will become more content, perhaps even happy, within our freer society.

I've done what I said I wouldn't and summarised the book. Probably incorrectly but that's what I took out of it. It's very readable and at times I felt addicted as to a great novel. The references to greek heros, philosophers and woodland nymphs adds context and is entertainingly diverting. Enjoyable and very much food for thought, whether you agree with Freud or not. I'm still not sure that everything I do is a result of the first few years of life but the underlying theories ring true. In conclusion either depressing (society needs repression and it will only increase) or uplifting (society will tend towards being freer and collective) depending on what bits of Freuds' theories you take and how you apply them. I'm for the latter. The alternative is too depressing and represses my basic instinct to gain happiness and gratification.

The Exploits of Engelbrecht (Maurice Richardson)

Maurice Richardson
The Exploits of Engelbrecht



Another long standing book on my Amazon wish list that was bought for christmas. I saw it recommended by Michael Moorcock who I used to read a lot and could now get a lucrative job writing fantasy screenplays I'm sure. If he hasn't already. Exploits is a collection of short stories about a surrealist dwarf boxer (authors description) who gets involved in all sorts of competitions such as witch shoots, fights with grandfather clocks, man hunting etc. etc. All take over a very long time and distance and are, well, pretty weird which I guess what a surrealist sportsman would engage in. Although entertaining and very readable the stories are short and could be lengthened with more description as to the how and why with a bit of character development, most of whom come and go superficially. Having said that these were written for a regular magazine publication rather than as a book and by the end of the book you get a pretty good picture as to some of the characters. Most of the sports have heavy betting often with fixing involved and mainly to gain time rather than money. Yes, clocks feature heavily. The afterword by Moorcock says that this book is a treasure. And when was Michael ever a fantasist?

Planet of Slums (Mike Davis

Mike Davis
Planet of Slums


Sent to me by my brother Matt cos he didn't want to lend his own copy, too important as a reference work socialogically, this book is truly terrifying. A document as to how slums are taking over the planet apart from small heavily guarded enclaves. These enclaves range from the archetypal Sao Paulo luxury apartments' tennis courts overlooking favelas directly underneath their steep medieval castle like walls to whole continents (i.e. Europe) who prevent migration from poverty to relative luxury through technology and man power. The author pulls in loads of reference works and systematically goes through the slum situation across the globe, how they are growing exponentially, how they came to be there and what their future is. He goes through why the majority of peoples on the planet are being failed by their and other states being pushed into or further into poverty. He shows how the idea that people can work their way up and out of slums and poverty is an illusion at best and a corrupt lie to be more accurate. The ecological nightmare of living in slums is a focus and the root cause of the massive growth due to IMF and World Bank (read USA and Western Europe) monetary and political policies eroding, or avalanching, away the state in poverty stricken countries. A seeming surplus of humanity is discussed in that the rich want to consume more and more and keep the poor down at heel. Futures are analysed including the massive move to the informal economy in many places and how this affects poverty line humanity in the ability to be educated and break out of the vicious circle. Victorian British, Irish and Italian slums are referenced but not really analysed that much especially how they were eradicated. Whatever the reason things seem to be different today as there are no empires at hand for stricken countries or new continents to be conquered or markets to have goods forced upon them by imperialistic empires. Finally there is a chilling thought to end such a chilling book. It seems that the only government organisation globally to accept that we won't get rid of massive slums, or even stem the flow into slums and spread of them into agricultural land and communities, is the US military. They have accepted that for decades they will be fighting never ending wars against poor militants and have started investigating how they can fight insurgents in the slum environment when roads are either non existent and certainly not mapped and the population is so densely packed. We know their current tactic which is to simply bomb entire buildings or communities. They are refining this partly through their experiences in fighting civil disturbances in Los Angeles. The fact that LA is a blue print for slums is very telling. It shows that the west is not as far from being swamped by toxic waste and slums as we may think. And that the powers that be are content for it to slide into such a state. Essential reading for anyone socially or politically aware, humanitarians and ecologists alike. If our culture started with tales of past paradise such as the Garden of Eden we are on a fast track to finishing it in hell as envisioned in Dante's inferno. A nuclear holocaust would seemingly be a welcome quick euthanasia for the human race compared to the progression of slum lifestyles, or deathstyles, that are increasingly covering the globe that we are treating and it's inhabitants whether human or animal or agricultural so badly. Illuminating. Depressing.

Soccer vs. The State (Gabriel Kuhn)

Gabriel Kuhn
Soccer vs. The State

Another book from the anarchist book fair and whilst chunkier than the others I bought / picked up this is mainly a series of articles by others sewn together into a coherent story. It goes through how anarchists and their ideas are linked to football. It's not a massively rich seam of content so anything slightly left wing seems to be included. Including making out that folk like Maradona are radical just cos they pay lip service to some left wing groups to delude themselves that they are still working class rebels. My arse. And then goes on to bemoan that today's game is all about winning and that cheating is a sympton of the capitalist annexation of the beautiful game. Hand of dog anyone? Anyways, despite that whinge it's a really good read and well put together. First off a few debates around whether the competitive and tribal nature of football is compatible with anarchist ideas. And whether it is (and always has been) an opiate for the people pitting them against each other rather than against their capitalist masters. Obviously the ongoing commercialisation (wasn't it ever?) and recent big money makes the difference between supporter and supported / owner greater than ever before. Violence and bigotry are also examined from all sides.

Next section is about how football can lead radical ideas and actions and we hop through examples including footballers themselves, managers & owners, then teams and onto supporters and their fan groups including the Ultras movement (if that's what it is). Lastly we trip through examples of radical home grown grass roots football teams, or should that be collectives, which provides particularly fascinating reading especially the Bristol Easton Cowboys and Girls. 

Great articles and very worthwhile reading. Practical too as my willingness to pay Ashburton Grove prices (aka The Arsenal ground) and now living south of the river has led me to try to find another team to co-support. You know that you can never stop loving your childhood team. This is neatly pointed out in the book as examples of left wingers supporting rich or full on capitalist clubs are given, with the point made that once you're in you're in and there's no going back. If religion be the opiate of the people then football is chasing the dragon - you can never leave. Who can resist looking at least at the scores? I feel irrational urges to look up Bath City scores and table positions of towns I've lived in and the teams of mates. Back to my point. I've tried to like Crystal Palace but failed miserably. I never meet fans I like, even though I know they have probably the closest to ultras. Their ground is bloody bleak and cold. And prices are nearly as expensive as The Arsenal whilst their football is shite and so value for money is way less. Fulham have lost their appeal recently and they're too close to my main team for comfortable support. Chelski are obviously out due to them being, well, Chelsea. Maybe Dulwich Hamlet who my mate goes to see but I suspect that the quality of football is about as good as I can could muster on a lucky day. I had considered AFC Wimbledon but it's a bit of a trek to their temporary ground - sharing until they can move back to Plough Lane. So as they're name checked in the book as a fan created club, following the disgraceful move of Wimbledon FC to Milton Keynes, I thought I'd put in the effort to go see them. After cycling 8 miles through the rain I arrived to see them play Dagenham and Redbridge (who Debbie said I should support instead seeing as I'm married to her and she's from those parts) and what a match. We (yes, we) won and as I was in the home end terrace behind the goal was in the midst of the sort of boisterous mayhem and witty songs that I last experienced back in the North Bank days at Highbury. Ah blissful memories. Although to be fair not quite as crowded or dangerous as being in the middle of the North Bank. The nearest I've come to it since the move from Highbury was at St Pauli in Hamburg where you still have terracing and can bring drinks onto it. So maybe I'll go see The Wombles more often and start learning the players names and the local chants. I know this seems a bit forced but think of it as moving from being C of E to Quaker. Same base drug different usage.

That may be a diversion but linking back to the book The Arsenal are name checked as having the highest ticket prices in the world (well what do you expect if you watch the best team that ever walked the earth, hmmm) and St Pauli who are the most obvious high profile radical left wing / anarchist club. Even with a copper playing part time for them. They aren't praised without criticism and as always through the book where players, clubs and fan groups stray from high anarchist ideals this is commented on. So yeah. Excellent read and a well balanced book. Go read. Liberate a copy from your local capitalist book store - or better buy a copy from the next anarchist book fair that you visit.

A final word. Whilst most of the book makes sense I think that the grass roots pick up game idea that it's purely anarchist is obviously not restricted to anarchists. Would have been more telling to point out that many things that we do in society have no rules enforced by police or referees but are generally agreed amongst those participating. My recently defunct 5 a side nights (RIP - I miss you, not getting my weekly fix) were a great example where we just turned up, sides were picked according to a mystical force and the physicality of the games regulated by mutual consent, or one of us oldies throwing our toys off the pitch temporarily. One guy usually kept score although once we got past ten goals each we were all very dubious as to his proclamations. A great example of libertarianism in action. Although we did have to pay the school for the pitch.

Desert (Anonymous)

Anonymous
Desert

Another pamphlet from the anarchist book fair this one being a freebie and anonymous presumably as the author is still very much active in the libertarian struggle and I guess in ways that puts his or her liberty in danger. Basic premise is that we're too late to save civilisation (not necessarily a bad thing) or the ecology of the planet (as far as supporting billions of humans goes) and most involved in fighting for a better world (as defined by anarchists, ecologists, libertarians, syndicalists) know this fact and are either fighting a losing battle getting more depressed about it or have given up completely. The booklet takes us down this path in very logical arguments and is very well written and thought through even if you may not agree with either the ecological conclusions or why this is not a bad state of affairs from an anarchist viewpoint. I think much of the analysis is taken from others and one or two in particular. The author's view is that as civilisation disintegrates there will be pockets where anarchists can live together in communal living perhaps more so than is possible today. Examples of where such communities have existed and do so today are given. Counter arguments that limited resources will squeeze such libertarian communities are considered but overall the feeling is that liberty can be found as civilisation fragments.

I get the feeling that the author is sort of looking forward to carving out a libertarian way of life amongst the chaos but I feel that it'll be a lot more devastating than the author hopes for and despots and totalitarian governments and / or companies will ensure that there is no room for small communities to flourish anywhere that anyone can scrape together a living. And those in the central / equatorial regions which will become deserts (hence the title) will flood towards the warming northern parts not necessarily having living a community based way of life at the top of their agenda. An odd passage was saying that being in a shanty town gave a certain feeling of liberty and where I can see the author's point in the way that it's presented I was thinking that they presumably knew that they could leave at any time so not living with the stresses that others in that community would be.

Overall a very good read though. I had to take the photo myself as couldn't find on-line and although found a couple of reviews of this booklet can't find the publisher on-line: Stac an Armin press, St Kilda

Yesterday's To-morrow - Bristol's Garden Suburbs (Stephen E. Hunt)

Stephen E. Hunt
Yesterday's To-morrow - Bristol's Garden Suburbs

A short pamphlet picked up at the anarchist book fair I went to a couple of weeks ago giving an introduction to Bristol's garden suburbs and their links to libertarian sensibilities. I was interested cos the guy on the stand said that it included the Fry's Chocolate factory model village at Keynsham, near where I grew up and where my parents live, but it also includes other developments such as Shirehampton west of Bristol. The suburbs are an interesting mix of developments by libertarian planners, influenced by people such as William Morris, and those built by industrialists for their workers to give them a pleasant place to live - no doubt to ensure loyalty, healthiness (compared to slum dwelling) and proximity to the factory. No doubt some individualist libertarians felt claustrophobic in these surroundings and there is some paternity in not building pubs for the good of the residents but I guess better than the tenement slums a lot were used to. The booklet draws parallels with other garden cities built at the time and covers briefly how the Bristol suburbs are surviving today with the pressures of packing more people into less space. A good read.

Bristol Radical Pamphleteer #8
http://www.brh.org.uk/publications.html

Heart of a Dog (Mikhail Bulgakov)

Mikhail Bulgakov
Heart of a Dog



From just finishing one of the worst books to one of the best. Very readable and laugh out loud funny. A bizarre experiment and bizarre people all set in a Russian communist apartment block. Easy to understand digs at the communist state and those empowered by it whilst the wider context of the book and our hero the dog gives a more subtle analysis of communism. Or at least how it was implemented / evolved in Russia in the early 20s. The book could have been written today with a little update on the jobs or roles of certain characters and is written in a modern style which maybe due to the translation although I think that was in the late 60s. I picked it up at Oxfam Books having read the back cover blurb and only intended to dip into the introduction a few evenings ago but I was so intrigued that I started the first chapter and couldn't put it down. A couple of hours later and I'd finished. Fabulous and highly recommended.

Rosa Luxemburg (Paul Frölich)

Paul Frölich
Rosa Luxembourg

A Pluto Press Ideas in Action series translated by Joanna Hoornweg. Written 1939 and reissued 1972. This is a different cover to the one I borrowed off my work colleague Danny as, for the first time, I couldn't find the one I read on the net.

This is an excellent insight into the revolutionary politics of the early 20th Century in middle Europe in particular Poland and Germany. It's also a brilliant insight into a revolutionary life detailing a personal struggle in the wider political context. Rosa Luxemburg dedicated her life to socialism and was apparently a brilliant interpreter of Marxist theory applied to the practicalities of her place and time. Maybe she's made out to be a little too good to be true especially in her predictions of the future. There's also a big question about whether Rosa should have grasped power both within the socialist party in Germany and also pushed harder during the German revolution in 1918/19. This question and what could have happened if Rosa had been in charge is only really raised at the end of the book rather than a critical assessment in the relevant chapter. This is more a criticism of the book than Rosa as she obviously had her reasons including that of being in and out of prison and having appalling health problems.

The book ends with how Germany's socialist revolution was scuppered due to turncoats and thuggery of the Bourgeoisie thus paving the way for Hitler's takeover. Maybe Lenin had to create the proletarian dictatorship in Russia to protect the revolution with the risk that personal freedom and democracy would be rolled back, rather than progressed, resulting in that travesty of "left wing" dictatorship  Stalinism for which read state capitalism complete with the necessary repression to sustain it.

The book is remarkable given that, at the time, there were so many lost papers either destroyed during the revolution or by the Nazis or kept quiet in Russian archives as not supportive of Stalinist policies. Maybe for my education I'd like a bit more on the wider context as all it's all centred on Rosa but I kept up and as it was written in 1939 the context would've been well known to those reading the book. We could've gone into more detail about Rosa's personal life to get a better flavour of the woman. References to affairs and partners were so obtuse and I wondered if they were all men or some of her woman friends. Not important as such but an indication of Rosa's place in time. And Lenin legalised homosexuality which was unheard of across Europe. Her mistreatment at the hands of the police and especially just before her death are equally obtuse and leave you wondering what did go on. Maybe when written the author couldn't go into too much detail to both pander to current sensibilities and to not besmirch a heros character.

Overall extremely readable and excellent introduction to this period and a dedicated woman.

The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)

J. D. Salinger
The Catcher in the Rye

A very compulsive book in that every time I put it down I wanted to pick it up again. Didn't take long to read then as quite short. It's basically a couple of days in the life a teenager who's dropping out of school (as in British school rather than American college, if you see what I mean) by seemingly deliberately flunking his subjects except for the one he enjoys. Most of the people he knows and meets he thinks are phoney and he's often taken advantage of. He's sort of naive and very innocent in a lot of ways such as his interactions with taxi drivers pimps and prostitutes which grates against what he's doing with his life and descriptions of, and to my mind darker suggestions of, sex, smoking and swearing*. He seems to hanker back to happier days and only successfully spends time with his younger sister however even she seems more grounded and mature. There seems to be a lot of analysis about this character which maybe is warranted if you can be bothered to try to understand the teenage mind but for me it's simply a brilliantly written narrative of an angst ridden teenager who's going through all the confusing times that we all did ending up hating nearly everyone and wanting to get out of his situation by dreaming of a simple and idyllic life away from all the crap he has to deal with. And who hasn't been there. I love the fact that the helpful adults aren't at all not through their fault except not remembering what it's like to be a teenager. But how many of us can? The great thing about this book is that it brings those feelings flooding back in a way that few, if no, other books have for me. I checked how old Salinger was when he wrote this (32) but a lot of the material was written years beforehand when he must've been either in or just past his teenage years which makes sense. I also love that our hero references literature that deals with similar subjects of angst innocence being put in situations you don't want and have to break out of such as Thomas Hardy who is also a brilliant writer.

To sum up a dreamer who is continually disappointed that the world doesn't deliver as promised and wants to get away from everything. In other words a teenager.

* Sex, Smoking and Swearing. The perennial themes of teenage years encapsulating hormone urges, getting out of it and rebelling. And ain't that a great name for an album in the vein of leather bristles studs and acne & sex and drugs and rock and roll.