A succint history of anarchism and the rise of dynamite

[grladams at teleport.com]

For all you ATD lovers out there:
Merriman, John. The Dynamite Club: How a Bombing in Fin-de-Siècle Paris
Ignited the Age of Modern Terror. Houghton. Feb. 2009. c.272p. illus.
bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-618-55598-7. $26. HIST

In the 21st century, we are concerned with economic and social inequalities
and rapid technological change—but so were those living in 1890s Europe.
With tension building between "haves" and "have-nots," strong anarchist
movements had gained momentum there, paving the way, says Merriman, for the
tactics used in today's age of modern terror. Merriman (history, Yale
Univ.; A History of Modern Europe) leads the reader through a succinct
history of anarchism and the rise of dynamite during this period. He uses
young anarchist Emile Henry to epitomize this troubled period. Henry was
the first individual to use indiscriminate terrorist means (by throwing
dynamite into a crowd) to promote a particular social agenda; previously,
most acts of violence by anarchists and other groups were directed at the
police, heads of state, or the upper classes. Merriman's account
complements other sources on the history of terrorism (e.g., Walter
Laqueur's History of Terrorism) by putting a human face on this and other
anarchist acts. Well told and thoroughly researched at the National
Archives of Britain and France, this work is recommended for academic
collections or public libraries collecting comprehensively on this aspect
of history.—Maria C. Bagshaw, Knowledge & Information Resources, Ecolab,
Inc., St. Paul, MN


--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web.com – What can On Demand Business Solutions do for you?
http://link.mail2web.com/Business/SharePoint