Kropotkin, Read, and the Intellectual History of British Anarchism

Matthew S. Adams is Banting Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Victoria, Canada. Amongst others, he has published in the journals Historical Research, Journal of the History of Ideas, History of Political Thought, and History of European Ideas.

• Introduction 1. Contexts: Anarchism in British Intellectual History, 1886-1968 2. Foundations: System-Building Philosophy 3. Statism: The Power of History 4. Revolution: The Journey to Communism 5. Utopia: Imagining Post-Capitalist Society Conclusion

"The strength of Adams' interesting and intelligent book is that it gives us a view of anarchism as a dynamic tradition of thought that is integral to any wider intellectual history. And in one memorable phrase, Adams explains why we should not ignore it. Kropotkin and Read, by 'Their pursuit of reason uncovered a universe of wonder' ... . This book helps us join them." (Peter Ryley, European Review of History, Revue europeenne d'histoire, Vol. 23 (1-2), 2016) "In directing his readers' attention to the connections between Kropotkin and Read, Adams has indeed pointed to one of the most important streams that fed into British anarchist thought more generally. ... Adams's book is a welcome addition to a growing number of studies aimed at recapturing the largely lost tradition of British anarchism and plugging a significant hole in our understanding of anarchist history and ideas." (Benjamin J. Pauli, New Political Science, Vol. 38 (2), 2016) "This volume serves as an excellent account of British anarchism as an intel-lectual history, which explores the translation and impact of ideas and practices within a transregional context." (Oscar Norris-Broughton, Global Histories, Vol. 1, December, 2015)