The Practical Revolutionaries: A New Interpretation of the French Anarchosyndicalists

(Hardback)

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Until recently, historians and political analysts have tended to dismiss French revolutionary syndicalism as a movement whose influence was either negative or ineffectual. This study of French anarchosyndicalism represents a departure from traditional class-based analyses and more recent attempts to deal with the subject from a strictly regional or occupational standpoint. The Practical Revolutionaries will provide scholars and students with a better understanding of an important movement in labor history.

Reviews

A sensible and highly detailed treatment of turn-of-the-20th-century French anarchosyndicalism. Mitchell eschews earlier doctrinaire interpretations of this group, and attempts to answer some specific questions as the anarchosyndicalists themselves would have approached them, free from presuppositions derived from other--mostly Marxist--perspectives. The questions Mitchell addresses have to do with direct action, ' patriotism, women, and peasants. She succeeds very well; this is likely to remain the definitive work on the subject. The book is clearly expressed.... There are very valuable brief biographical notices and a full bibliography. The book is essential to any scholarly library, where it will be useful on all levels of scholarship.-Choice
"A sensible and highly detailed treatment of turn-of-the-20th-century French anarchosyndicalism. Mitchell eschews earlier doctrinaire interpretations of this group, and attempts to answer some specific questions as the anarchosyndicalists themselves would have approached them, free from presuppositions derived from other--mostly Marxist--perspectives. The questions Mitchell addresses have to do with direct action, ' patriotism, women, and peasants. She succeeds very well; this is likely to remain the definitive work on the subject. The book is clearly expressed.... There are very valuable brief biographical notices and a full bibliography. The book is essential to any scholarly library, where it will be useful on all levels of scholarship."-Choice

Author Bio

BARBARA MITCHELL is Professor of History at Chaffey College.