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To what degree can anarchism be an effective organized movement? Is it realistic to think of anarchist ideas ever forming the basis for social life itself? These questions are widely being asked again today in response to the forces of economic globalization.The framework for such discussions was perhaps given its most memorable shape, however, in George Woodcock’s classic study of anarchism – now widely recognized as the most significant twentieth-century overview of the subject.

Woodcock surveys all of the major figures that shaped anarchist thought, from Godwin and Proudhon to Bakunin, Goldman, and Kropotkin, and looks as well at the long-term prospects for anarchism and anarchist thought. In Woodcock's view "pure" anarchism – characterized by "the loose and flexible affinity group which needs no formal organization" – was incompatible with mass movements that require stable organizations, that are forced to make compromises in the face of changing circumstances, and that need to maintain the allegiance of a wide range of supporters. Yet Woodcock continued to cherish anarchist ideals; as he said in a 1990 interview, "I think anarchism and its teachings of decentralization, of the coordination of rural and industrial societies, and of mutual aid as the foundation of any viable society, have lessons that in the present are especially applicable to industrial societies."

This classic work of intellectual history and political theory (first published in the 1960s, revised in 1986) is now available exclusively from Broadview Press. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Solid introduction to libertarian political thought
Every so often when I was a full-time teacher, I taught a course in libertarian political theory. This volume was a standard textbook that I used (there is now a much more recent version, if I read Amazon correctly). Woodcock defines the subject of this work along the following lines (Page 13): ". . .a system of social thought, aiming at fundamental changes in the structure of society and particularly. . .at the replacement of the authoritarian state by some sort of nongovernmental co-operation between free individuals." Once thus stated, of course, many readers would instantly dismiss the project described. However, this is a very nice overview of libertarian/anarchist thinkers and, as such, serves a useful purpose.

The organizational structure is pretty clean. His prologue outlines Woodcock's view of the subject matter. Then, Part I, "The Idea." Here, the author examines the political thought of a number of key thinkers in this strand of political thought.He begins with the deeper historical predecessors, including the "Diggers" in English history, Thomas Paine, and Jacques Roux, inter alia. Among those whose work he summarizes and assesses in more detail: William Godwin, the man of reason; Max Stirner, the egoist; Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, the intellectual father of syndicalism; Mikhail Bakunin, the Russian nobleman who became an anarchist; Peter Kropotkin, a prince in Russia, who used evolutionary theory to justify his anarchist perspective; Leo Tolstoy (yet another Russian) and his Christian anarchism.

After perusing individual thinkers, Woodcock then examines anarchism/libertarianism across a variety of societies--from France to Italy to Spain to Russia, and elsewhere (including the United States). For each venue, he notes the development of the theory in historical terms and leading figures in the movement.

Finally, his epilogue.He reflects upon the meaning of the work of individuals and the movements across different societies.

For a solid introduction to the subject, this serves well up to the time of its publication (in the early 1960s). For those interested in a general overview of the subject, this serves well.

Incisive Survey
Though it has now been supplanted, or to put it more mildly, updated, by Peter Marshall's more recent "Demanding the Impossible", Woodcock's history remains nonetheless an incisive and extremely readablesurvey. A superb introduction to anarchist thought. ... Read more

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An early collection from the founder of Canadian Literature containing poems divided into four collections, excluding the preface and epilogue poems, named Bestiary, Mythology, Homage, and Anima. ... Read more

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Here, in one volume, is noted literary critic George Woodcock's condensed guide to Canada's major fiction writers. From Susanna Moodie and John Richardson to Margaret Laurence and Robertson Davies, Canada's preeminent critic considers more than 60 Canadian short-story writers and novelists. This book covers the field and provides an excellent survey for anyone interested in Canadian literature. ... Read more

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George Woodcock (1912-95), often called Canada’s most important man of letters, found fame as the author of Anarchism, which did much to shape the viewpoint of the 1960s generation, and The Crystal Spirit, his pioneering study of his friend George Orwell. Yet these are only two of the nearly 150 books he published during an astonishing career, lasting almost sixty years, as poet and historian, critic and playwright, biographer and essayist, radical pamphleteer and travel writer extraordinaire.

This great champion of Canadian literature was in his late thirties when he arrived from Britain--and in his mid-forties when he finally settled for good in his beloved Vancouver. Fleeing romantic and political entanglements in London (including the reverberations of a sensational trial at the Old Bailey), Woodcock reinvented himself through immigration, to the extent of virtually giving himself a new personality befitting his new environment. The Gentle Anarchist balances Woodcock’s interior existence with his professional self and explores the benevolent demons that pushed him to heroic feats of composition and kindness. ... Read more

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In this companion volume, George Woodcock discusses Canada's major poets, from Archibald Lampman and D. C. Scott to Leonard Cohen and Margaret Atwood. Woodcock indicates his own admiration for particular writers, and his reasons for paying less attention to others. Each volume is written in the fluid, intelligible style for which Woodcock is so well known, and provides snapshot views of Canadian poetry and fiction from the beginning of our literature to contemporary writers. ... Read more

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Canadian Fiction Studies are an answer to every librarian's, student's, and teacher's wishes. Each book, about 80 pages in length, contains clear, readable information on a major Canadian novel. These studies are carefully designed readings of the novels; they are not substitutes for reading them. Each book is attractively produced and follows the same format, so students will know exactly what to expect:

A chronology of the author's life The importance of the book Critical reception Reading of the text Selected list of works cited ... Read more

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Two fishermen find a whale trapped in their net; neither of them can swim so they must trust the whale to support them while they out away the net and get back to the boat. . . In the wilderness of the Peace River, a man performs delicate surgery on his sick comrade, without anaesthetic, and with only the assistance of a doctor's voice on the radiotelephone. . .These and 70 other striking anecdotes are collected in this extraordinary volume, published in support of the Canada-India Village Aid Society. There are contributions from fifteen Canadian luminaries, among them Timothy Findley, Toni Onley, Margaret Atwood and P.K. Page, and from scores of ordinary Canadians. ... Read more