This is a great introduction to Bakunin's ideas.

It is disappointing that Bakunin's biography is used only as a backdrop to describe his ideas. Had I known that this book's charge was not his actions per se, but what motivated those actions, I might have picked up a different book. Passing mention is given to the barricades of various insurrections all over Europe that Bakunin manned. Instead the book concentrates on ensuring that Bakunin's ideas are explained plainly to the reader, leaving the actual biography to past works about Bakunin (an example given in the first couple of pages of the book: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2661628.Michael_Bakunin)

Dotted with references to pop-culture and witty comparisons to the modern day, the purpose of this book was to expound on Bakunin's philosophy, where it comes from, how it differs from other leftist philosophy (such as Marxism, or pre-Marxist socialism). I think it is a great work of popular philosophy (pop-philo?). For example, "Bakunin[...:]had a gift for reaching non-intellectuals. Unlike Marx, Bakunin would never be the target of a purge of the Poindexters." or, for a more biting example:

"As [Marx:] noted in the preface to the new edition of the Communist Manifesto, [...:]the machinery so well-adapted for the rule of the bourgeoisie could not provide the model for socialism.
"That's just what I've been on about!" Bakunin exclaimed. The old foes eyed each other warily until the realization sunk in. Then each extended his arms, crying out "Comrade!" as they embraced in a particularly hairy hug that, to be honest, left both men feeling a little awkward.[...:]Reconciled at last, they agreed to work together and use that dynamic tension that had so divided them to build a united socialist movement and well and truly launch humanity's history anew.
Perhaps in an alternate universe."

The truth revealed in this book is that Marx was a total douche. Back-stabbing, bad-jacketing, spiteful, vindictive, sectarian and jealous, Marx never drew the crowds of working people that Bakunin or Proudhoun did, and so therefore Marx despised them. A bookish nerd who compiled statistics while Bakunin raised black flags on top of European barricades, Marx never said a good word about his rival. Bakunin, on the other hand, was quite reserved in his criticism of Marx, ceding where his own philosophy was not as developed as that of Marx, and treating Marx like a comrade regardless of whatever ill will Marx had towards him.

Unlike Bakunin, Marx wrote himself and others of his social standing into the supposed revolutionary philosophy of the oppressed: "[Marxists:] remained the "most impassioned friends of state power," because without the state, the social revolution would simply sweep the intellectuals aside as the masses created their own free institutions and associations." Bakunin always insisted that the lived experiences of the working class were the most important factor in their revolutionary potential. Though other social classes could help build the liberatory workers' movement, the work had to be done by the workers themselves (himself discluded), and revolution mus be built on their experiences.

I'm really going to give this to my mom to read. I think she'll enjoy it. ( )

A tremendously engaging biography of the great Anarchist , theorist, and revolutionary. Bakunin was no slouch as a theorist, but Karl Marx was... well, Karl Marx, so it's fair to say that Bakunin was punching above his weight. The machinations of the First International are endlessly fascinating, for here was the diamond pivot on which the destinies of millions unborn swung: a tweak in the language here, a conversation there, and the colors on the map change decades later. (My only quibble is that the style is sometimes too flippant, but not everything has to read like To the Finland Station; the scholarly apparatus is all here.) Chockful of information and insights... At one point Marx got his hands on some used books, which had been owned by Bakunin, by none other than Hegel! ( )

Only read half of this ( had to go back to libaray and I'm way behind in other things ) Too much editorializing, but, not bad. ( )

Only read half of this ( had to go back to libaray and I'm way behind in other things ) Too much editorializing, but, not bad. ( )

This is the most enjoyable book I've read recently. The author provides a likable and human portrait of a figure who has been very poorly served by generations of historians and sectarian Marxists (not to mention Marx himself), who have distorted the anarchist's thought, misattributed the incendiary work of others to him, falsely accused him of espionage, and grasped at isolated passages of his writing as evidence of secret authoritarian intentions. After more than a century of these widely circulated falsehoods, it is a difficult task to restore Bakunin's rightful legacy as a passionate voice for liberation, but Leier has made a bold step in that direction.

This quote from the introduction was a hook for me: "The fundamental point of anarchism is critique. Anarchists have tried to show what is wrong with the world and why, but their message has been buried and distorted. Its resurgence at the 'end of history' is not surprising, for anarchism has often renewed precisely when we are told that this is as good as it gets and that happiness lies in adapting ourselves to the new horrors. When the lid of the box gets screwed down tight, people start to think and act outside the box."

And here's Bakunin himself, on capitalism, as true today as then: "The whole life of the worker is nothing other than a grievous succession of terms of legally voluntary but economically forced servitude, momentarily interrupted by liberty accompanied by starvation, and consequently a real slavery."

On the state, which history has yet to disprove: "The state cannot exist a single day without having at least one privileged, exploiting class: the bureaucracy." ( )