This book does a service in explaining within academic discourse what it is that anarchists think their doing and draws on a school of philosophy to back that up. Franks concisely constructs how anarchists differ from other schools of thought and fleshes out the prefigurative (means and ends model) which is fundamental to its praxis. Further it helps sort the various tactics and strategies of the numerous federations, collectives etc. who make up the UK anarchist/libertarian movement and puts them in a logical and accessible way.

The books over-arching approach aside its absolutely painstakingly dull to read. The book would have had a more human touch to it if it had been compiled by a computer programme simply regurgitating data in a logical assortment. I am not sure if the author thought he was being objective with the flow of arguments but its easily a big factor in making the book a milestone to read.

And talking of content. Your response to this book in the main, could easily be surmised into two schools of opinion based on one question; have you ever been a member or supporter of Class War? The book is so skewed towards Class War, its difficult to take it seriously. By referencing almost every other quote from Class War, you would near on assume they were central to the anarchist project, which is not entirely the truth now is it. An accessible book that looks at all the proponents of anarchism in a fair and balanced manner, dissecting their ideas and praxis this isn't. The book is unfortunately a flawed write-up on a very neglected subject. ( )

This review originally appeared in Class War issue 91. Winter 2006.

Good books on Anarchism are pretty rare. Books about the UK anarchist movement are even rarer. In “Rebel Alliances” Benjamin Franks has not only managed to avoid the car crash of earlier summaries (such as “Demanding The Impossible” by Peter Marshall, or “Anarchism” by George Woodcock) but has given a serious overview of what anarchists attempt to do, and why.
The first success is that the book largely covers the period from 1984-2002. Rather than addressing past texts by noted beards, Rebel Alliances concentrates on recent actions, the groups involved, and their motivations. This is not to say no lessons can be learned from the small amount of historical information included – it is worth noting that historically Jewish anarchists in Whitechapel defied the authority of the Rabbi’s – compare that to the behaviour of “socialists” in Tower Hamlets today towards the local mullah’s.
Franks sets out the process by which anarchists in the UK ceased tail-ending the Leninist left, and created their own agenda. Events like the 1992 Anti-Election Alliance march were pivotal to this process, as of course was the slow but steady decline of the old Marxist-Leninist left. Whilst the last century left waited around for the trades unions to “defeat” the Poll Tax – anarchists correctly identified just who had the tools to do the job – working class communities themselves. All too often politics really is a very simple process, made complicated by that bane on us all – politicians!

Methods of anarchist organisation are also set out – from uniting around “The Platform” through to the “Open Cells” of groups like the Angry Brigade or the Hit Squads in the Miners strike. The books greatest strength lies in the authors ability to spot when theory is undermined by reality. Whilst squatting is fine as a principle, it brings with it the danger of creating an “alternative” economy based around the sorts of goods and services that often appeal to squatters and their friends. Such alternative economies can and do assist in the gentrification of working class areas.

This is possibly not a book for someone brand new to reading about Anarchism. There are occasionally times when Rebel Alliances will have you groping for your dictionary – the author seems particularly attached to the word “prefigurative” – and the section on propaganda is far more fun than the heavier section on ethics. Franks can be a tad PC – is it really “old prejudice” to say that feminists of the Greenham Common variety were weakening class struggle? To many working class women the living conditions at the camp would have been eccentric at best, abhorrent at worst. Also - where are those feminists now?

Given its national emphasis, good local anarchist campaigns are, perhaps inevitably, overlooked. Some, like the successes of Anarchists in Sheffield in the 1980s, really need to be evaluated somewhere. It is also worth noting that anarchist campaigns do not exist in a vacuum, and those opposed to anarchism are not passive players. The Carnival Against Global Capitalism on June 18 1999 is discussed in detail, but since then the police have more than regained the upper hand, to the extent that for many activists it is now virtually impossible to even have a drink in the west end on the day of a big demonstration.
These are however minor gripes – Rebel Alliances is likely to become the standard work on our movement for some years. Given he is known to so many people involved in class struggle anarchism, no one is better placed to examine the contemporary British anarchist movement than Ben Franks. Steal this book at the first opportunity. ( )