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Anarchism is a form of anti-state socialism which first emerged in 19th century Europe and rapidly spread to North America, South America, Asia and parts of Africa through trans-national networks and migration flows.

I’ve composed this reading list on the basis of which books or texts I wish I’d known about when first learning about anarchism. I don’t agree with all the texts I list but felt it was important to include texts from traditions within anarchism that I don’t like or don’t fully agree with.

A large number of anarchists texts can be found at Libcom, The Anarchist Library, the Dwardmac Anarchy Archives and Robert Graham’s website. A text is ‘classic’ if it is from the 19th or the early 20th century, and it is ‘modern’ if it is from the late 20th century or the 21st century.

For recommendations on feminism, including anarcha-feminism, see my feminism reading list.

A great (and very long) all round resource on anarchism is The Anarchist FAQ.

Classic Introductions



Modern Introductions

Graeber, David – Are You An Anarchist? The Answer May Surprise You! (very short)

Milstein, Cindy – Anarchism and Its Aspirations

Classic Anarchist Texts

Modern Anarchist Texts



Anthologies of Anarchist Texts

Broad Overviews of Anarchist History

History of Anarchist Movements in Europe



Berry, David – A History of the French Anarchist Movement 1917-1945

Cahm, Caroline – Kropotkin and the Rise of Revolutionary Anarchism 1872-1886

Christie, Stuart – We, the Anarchists: A Study of the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI), 1927-1937

Di Paola, Pietro – The Knights Errant of Anarchy: London and the Italian Anarchist Diaspora 1880-1917

Ealham, Chris – Anarchism and the City: Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Barcelona 1898-1937

Garner, Jason – Goals and Means: Anarchism, Syndicalism, and Internationalism in the Origins of the Federacion Anarquista Iberica

Graham, Robert – We Do Not Fear Anarchy, We Invoke It: The First International and The Origins of the Anarchist Movement

Pernicone, Nunzio – Italian Anarchism 1864-1892 (is now outdated and should be read alongside Turcato’s Making Sense of Anarchism)

Quail, John – The Slow Burning Fuse: The Lost History of British Anarchists

History of Anarchist Movements in North and South America

History of Anarchist Movements in Asia

History of the Spanish Revolution

History of the Russian Revolution

The Modern Anarchist Movement



Bray, Mark – Translating Anarchy: The Anarchism of Occupy Wall Street

Dupuis-Deri, Francis – Who’s Afraid of the Black Blocs? Anarchy in Action Around the World

Graeber, David – Direct Action: An Ethnography

Graeber, David – The Democracy Project: A History, a Crisis, a Movement

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