"Revolutions without theory fail to make progress. We of the 'Friends Of Durruti' have outlined our thinking, which may be amended as appropriate in great social upheavals but which hinges upon two essential points which cannot be avoided. A program, and rifles."--El Amigo del Pueblo, No. 5, July 20, 1937. Spain 1936-1939: This is the story of a group of anarchists engaged in the most thoroughgoing social and economic revolution of all time. Essentially street fighters with a long pedigree of militant action, they used their own experiences to arrive at the finest contemporary analysis of the Spanish Revolution. In doing so, they laid down essential markers for all future revolutionaries. This study--drawing on interviews with participants and synthesizing archival information--is THE definitive text on these unsung activists. This volume is translated, edited, and introduced by Paul Sharkey, acknowledged internationally as the foremost expert on the Friends Of Durruti Group.

May 1937 saw the defeat of one of the most advanced revolutions in modern history. In Insurrection, Agustín Guillamón explains how and why it happened. One of the foremost historians of the Spanish Civil War writing today, Guillamón is known for his skill at unearthing new information, which he gathers from both archives and interviews. In this, his most recent and newly translated book, he uses that information to shed light on some of the most vexing and previously unanswered questions about the conflict, especially on the way that Stalinist and Republican forces conspired through assassination, intrigue and violence, to suppress the uprising. This is a story that George Orwel recounted, but failed to fully understand, in Homage to Catalonia.

Seeing the writing on the wall, one of Spain's largest unions began secretly arming workers throughout the country. The anarcho-syndicalist union evolved from overseeing workers' defense to organizing armed resistance to the Fascist coup. From there, it administered entire militias and finally coordinated industrial self-management and food distribution, leading a revolution within the Spanish Civil War. A fascinating new history and a lively narrative of ordinary men and women making history. Agustín Guillamón is an independent historian and the author of The Friends of Durruti Group, 1937–39 and The Committees Revolution.

A political biography, history of of a revolutionary era, and nonstop adventure story across three continents.

This exciting collection of primary sources on the Spanish Civil War uses military and political documents, media accounts, and contemporary propaganda to create a representative and illuminating survey of this enormously complicated event more than sixty-five years after it ended. Structured chronologically from a full introduction which delineates the field, this book ranges from the origins of the uprising against Franco through to its turbulent aftermath. It clearly outlines key points in the conflict and highlights the little-known roles of race and gender in determining the war’s outcome. The book also unearths many rare sources for the first time and reveals the variety of perspectives held by those immediately involved in the war. This is an ideal resource for all students of history and military history.

At last. A serious examination of the legendary FAI. And hence, by necessity, a history and analysis of the organised anarchist movement in Spain, and its relationship with the wider labor movement. By far the best book on the subject, Christie is ruthless in his examination - from an anarchist perspective - of the theory, and practice of this loose-knit group of anarchist militants. Required reading for everyone who not only wants to understand the history of Spanish anarchism, but for those that might want to see some viable form of anarchist organisation in the 21st century.