The CNT in the Spanish Revolution: Volume 1 (1) (Cnt in the Spanish Revolution, 1)

Summary:A careful chronicle of political change and hope in 1930s Spain, this staggering work examines how the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT), rose up against the oppressive structures of Spanish society. Documenting a history of revolution that failed at the hands of its enemies on both the reformist left and reactionary right, this intelligent account covers all areas of the anarchist experience, from the spontaneous militias and the revolutionary collectives to the moral dilemmas occasioned by the clash of revolutionary ideals and the stark reality of the war effort. Passionately written and carefully indexed, this edition is the only in-depth English-language text available and converts the work into a usable tool for historians and anarchists alike Nicolas Walter was the son of the neurologist, W. Grey Walter, and both his grandfathers had known Peter Kropotkin and Edward Carpenter. However, it was the twin jolts of Suez and the Hungarian Revolution while still a student, followed by participation in the resulting New Left and nuclear disarmament movement, that led him to anarchism himself. His personal history is recounted in two autobiographical pieces in this collection as well as the editor’s introduction. During the 1960s he was a militant in the British nuclear disarmament movement – especially its direct-action wing, the Committee of 100 – he was one of the Spies for Peace (who revealed the State’s preparations for the governance of Britain after a nuclear war), he was close to the innovative Solidarity Group and was a participant in the homelessness agitation. Concurrently with his impressive activism he was analyzing acutely and lucidly the history, practice and theory of these intertwined movements; and it is such writings – including Non-violent Resistance and The Spies for Peace and After – that form the core of this book. But there are also memorable pieces on various libertarians, including the writers George Orwell, Herbert Read and Alan Sillitoe, the publisher C.W. Daniel and the maverick Guy A. Aldred. The Right to be Wrong is a notable polemic against laws limiting the freedom of expression. Other than anarchism, the passion of Walter’s intellectual life was the dual cause of atheism and rationalism; and the selection concludes appropriately with a fine essay on Anarchism and Religion and his moving reflections, Facing Death. Nicolas Walter scorned the pomp and frequent ignorance of the powerful and detested the obfuscatory prose and intellectual limitations of academia. He himself wrote straightforwardly and always accessibly, almost exclusively for the anarchist and freethought movements. The items collected in this volume display him at his considerable best. (Source: [PM Press](https://pmpress.org.uk/product/damned-fools-in-utopia-and-other-writings-on-anarchism-and-war-resistance/)) A careful chronicle of political change and hope in 1930s Spain, this staggering work examines how the Confederacin Nacional del Trabajo (CNT), rose up against the oppressive structures of Spanish society. Documenting a history of revolution that failed at the hands of its enemies on both the reformist left and reactionary right, this intelligent account covers all areas of the anarchist experiencefrom the spontaneous militias and the revolutionary collectives to the moral dilemmas occasioned by the clash of revolutionary ideals and the stark reality of the war effort. Passionately written and carefully indexed, this edition is the only in-depth English-language text available and converts the work into a usable tool for historians and anarchists alike. Volume 1 focuses on the initial stages of the Spanish Revolution as the CNT gathered strength, built an anarchist civilian and military movement, and confronted Franco's fascist army. Additionally, "The History of a History" by editor Chris Ealham traces the writing, publication, and various turns Peirats' book took to reach this new English-language text.

A hefty collection of noted anarchist Nicolas Walter’s writings, this history recounts the anarchist and peace movements in the United Kingdom alongside the author’s adventures through activism. Inspired by the Suez and Hungarian Revolutions and his participation in the New Left, Walter became an anarchist and proponent of the freethought movement. Recounting his personal history in two autobiographical pieces, the author reflects on his militant involvement in the British nuclear disarmament movement, his experience as one of the Spies of Peace, and his connection to the Solidarity group. As an activist, Walter concurrently analyzed history, political theory, and activist practices, which he combined to form the backbone upon which he built his beliefs. Also included are musings on various intellectual and political figures such as George Orwell, Herbert Read, C. W. Daniel, and Guy A. Aldred, in addition to ruminations on the atheism and rationalism and the limitations of academia.

A hefty collection of noted anarchist Nicolas Walters writings, this history recounts the anarchist and peace movements in the United Kingdom alongside the authors adventures through activism. Inspired by the Suez and Hungarian Revolutions and his participation in the New Left, Walter became an anarchist and proponent of the freethought movement. Recounting his personal history in two autobiographical pieces, the author reflects on his militant involvement in the British nuclear disarmament movement, his experience as one of the Spies of Peace, and his connection to the Solidarity group. As an activist, Walter concurrently analyzed history, political theory, and activist practices, which he combined to form the backbone upon which he built his beliefs. Also included are musings on various intellectual and political figures such as George Orwell, Herbert Read, C. W. Daniel, and Guy A. Aldred, in addition to ruminations on the atheism and rationalism and the limitations of academia. Abbreviations Preface Introduction Thirty Years’ War: Some Autobiography An Autobiographical and Textual Note Damned Fools in Utopia Non-violent Resistance: Men against War The Committee of 100: Ends and Means The Committee of 100 and Anarchism (with Ruth Walter) The Spies for Peace and After The Regional Seats of Government, 1919–1963 Fifty Years of the Peace Pledge Union and Peace News Bertrand Russell and the Bomb The New Squatters The Solidarity Group and Anarchism Listen, Solidarist! Cornelius Castoriadis: An Obituary Cornelius Castoriadis: A Review Re-reading Read Remembering Herbert Read George Orwell and Anarchism Because He Is a Man: Alan Sillitoe The Short Stories of Alan Sillitoe C. W. Daniel: The Odd Man Guy A. Aldred, 1886–1963 Dorothy Day Three Intellectuals The Assassination of President Kennedy: Does It Really Matter? Diana as Star and Spectacle The Right to Be Wrong Anarchism and Religion Facing Death Books and pamphlets by Nicolas Walter