Best Books of Anarchist Literature

Like socialism or the Marxist communism, anarchism has a tainted past as well. It is often associated with violence and an attempt to destructively overthrow the government.

Anarchism does wish to let no government rule, but that is not pertaining to just the structures of a governing body. 

To bring about equality, it aims to abolish the system of rules and regulations completely that one uses to judge their practices against. You'd see how on reading a book or two on anarchy, you will find more interest in it if it is up to your alley.

Here are a few good books on anarchist literature - 

 

1. Homage to Catalonia, George Orwell

This book is a documentation of the experiences of George Orwell when he went to report on the Civil War in Spain. Instead, he joined hands with the forces to defeat the Fascist regime. The experiences are so detailed that they include the whole scenario of the catastrophic effect of war. An insight is provided into the political environment of Spain and, a commentary on the left winged communist parties and how they waged war.

 

2. God and the State, Michail Bakunin

Mikhail Bakunin, a dissenter of the Czar, was a prominent anarchist figure. Being an atheist, he spoke of anarchy that dismisses religion. His (actually incomplete) book is filled with radical philosophy and an unbiased view on how religion continues to influence society.

 

3. The Conquest of the Bread, Peter Kropotkin

Russian prince, geographer and anarchist writer Pyotr Kropotkin happen to be one of the pioneers of Anarchism owing to his experience in the military, after which he was imprisoned for his repeated protests against capitalism and establishment. This book is great for those who are new to anarchy.

 

4. No Gods No Masters: An Anthology to Anarchism, Daniel Guérin

This contains letters, manifestos, unpublished documents, reports and documented arguments about anarchism and includes writings by famous anarchist figures like Emma Goldman, Pyotr Kropotkin, Mikhail Bakunin, Pierre Joseph Proudhon to name a few. It ranges works from the early 1800s to World War II.

 

5. The Dispossessed, Ursula Le Guin

A physicist Shavek travels to the utopian planet Uras to plunge deeper into the anarchist movement and questions the incontestable, looking for answers to the most difficult of questions in this book. It is interesting as an anarchist science fiction.