Alexander Berkman The Blast introduced by Barry Pateman [Review]

My first thought was 'hell, it's huge' because it stands eleven inches high, but that's what you get when you do a real-size facsimile of a newspaper.

The introduction is very good, detailed and tightly focused on Berkman's Blast years - for a general introduction to Berkman's life and significance you'll have to look elsewhere. But the real beauty is in the text. The cover cartoons, some by Robert Minor (before he gave it up to play 'follow-my-leader' in the Communist Party) still have the sharp edge of satire undulled.

As one of the most important journals in the history of anarchism it's packed with articles showing history in the making. So much so that it was a relief that this book is widely and cheaply available, so that we don't have to type them out for the bulletin. Is there any higher praise? Get it.

AK, 2005 ISBN 1904859089 £15 / $21.95