Against the State: Anarchists and Comrades at War in Spain, Myanmar, and Rojava [Paperback]

A book about those that cannot wait any longer for the world to change.

Young revolutionaries in Myanmar and Rojava, colloquially referred to by journalist James Stout as “anarchists” for their nonhierarchical forms of organization based on mutual aid and solidarity, face incredible danger to pursue their expression of freedom.Against the State seeksto understand these anarchists, to honor their struggles, and ask tough questions about confronting the state. Stout contrasts these contemporary movements with the Spanish Civil War and Revolution where workers in 1936 fought capitalism and fascism. Crucially, the book presents these movements as evolving and innovative, and centers the voices of those too often overlooked in conflict studies and misunderstood by Western radical movements.USJames Stoutis a journalist, historian, and anarchist with experience working in conflict zones and mutual aid projects around the world. His PhD research was on international antifascism in the Spanish Second Republic and Civil War. He is the author ofThe Popular Front and the Barcelona 1936 Popular Olympics: Playing as If the World Was Watching.

"I wish we didn't need this book so badly right now, but I'm grateful it's so well-written. It's a good idea to be prepared for whatever the future holds and, as James points out, if we can organize industry then we can organize military supply chains.Against the Stateis part memoir, part history, part journalism, and all together essential reading." —Margaret Killjoy, author ofA Country of GhostsandThe Sapling Cage

"With deep insight and empathy, scholar-journalist Stout brings us to the front lines of anarchists at war. From the barricades and armored vehicles of 1930s Catalonia to innovations in contemporary Rojava and Myanmar, the challenges and rewards of fighting for freedom, with freedom, are this fascinating and indispensablel3#