''Anarchism'' is book-length study of anarchism written by
Paul Eltzbacher Paul Eltzbacher (18 February 1868 – 25 October 1928) was a Jewish German law professor. Eltzbacher was born in Cologne. From 1890 to 1895, he was a junior lawyer for the regional court districts of Cologne and Frankfurt, with a year off in 1891†...
. It was originally published in 1900 and quickly translated into five languages, including English in 1908 by
Steven T. Byington
Steven Tracy Byington (birthname Stephen) (December 10, 1869 – October 12, 1957) was a noted intellectual, translator, and American individualist anarchist.
Life
He was born in Westford, Vermont, and later moved to Ballardvale section of Ando ...
.
Contents
Eltzbacher gives straightforward descriptions of seven major figures in anarchism: Godwin, Proudhon, Stirner, Bakunin, Kropotkin, Tucker, and Tolstoy. He is not a sympathetic critic.
Publication
Originally published in 1900, Eltzbacher's book was quickly translated into Spanish (1901), French (1902), Russian (1903), and Dutch (1903).
Steven T. Byington
Steven Tracy Byington (birthname Stephen) (December 10, 1869 – October 12, 1957) was a noted intellectual, translator, and American individualist anarchist.
Life
He was born in Westford, Vermont, and later moved to Ballardvale section of Ando ...
translated the English version for publication by
Benjamin Tucker
Benjamin Ricketson Tucker (; April 17, 1854 – June 22, 1939) was an American individualist anarchist and libertarian socialist.Martin, James J. (1953)''Men Against the State: The Expositers of Individualist Anarchism in America, 1827–1908''< ...
in 1908. The English translation was reprinted in 1960 by the
Libertarian Book Club of New York. The reprint's editor preface provides a history of the book's publication and details on the author, translator, and publisher. But it also introduces errors, particularly in the Proudhon section.
Reception and legacy
Eltzbacher's ''Anarchism'' was among the most accessible compilations of anarchist writings in the early twentieth century. It was and remains among the most read studies of the subject.
Kropotkin himself, in his
1910 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' article on "Anarchism", commended the book as the best and most fair work on the topic, written with a full knowledge of anarchist literature.
References
Bibliography
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* https://books.google.com/books?id=u_evIt8DtO8C&pg=PA1
* https://books.google.com/books?id=ux-xAMFUY2gC&pg=PA281
* https://books.google.com/books?id=1iUxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT477
External links
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1900 non-fiction books
Books about anarchism
German non-fiction books
{{anarchism-book-stub