"Unfailingly informative . . . and frequently exciting, Leier's biography reintroduces a fascinating revolutionary, knowledge of whose ideas helps one place such recent phenomena as the World Trade Organization protests in meaningful historical context."-Booklist
"The life of Bakunin (18141876), the Russian architect of the anarchist movement, provides a surprisingly enjoyable introduction to the tumult of 19th-century radicalism. . . . [Leier] brings welcome consideration to the real merits of the movement."-Publishers Weekly
The spellbinding story of both the man and the theory, Bakunin chronicles one of the most notorious radicals in history, as well as the founding of anarchism, here revealed as a practical moral philosophy based on a critique of wealth and power.
Mark Leier corrects many of the popular misconceptions about Bakunin and his ideas, offering a fresh interpretation of his life and thoughts. Bakunin is an insightful read for all those who wish to better understand the fundamental basis of modern radical movements.
Mark Leier received his PhD from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1992. Currently he is the chair of Simon Fraser University's History Department and lives in North Vancouver. He has written three books on Canadian labor history and is the director of SFU's Centre for Labour Studies.
