A Crime Called Freedom

by Os Cangaceiros, Wolfi Landstreicher (Translator)

Os Cangeceiros was a group of delinquents with nothing but contempt for the self-sacrificial ideology practiced by "specialists in armed struggle." This uncontrollable band of social rebels wreaked havoc on the French state by attacking the infrastructures of oppression, supporting popular revolts, stealing and releasing secret blueprints for high-tech prisons, raiding the offices of corporate collaborators, and creating their lives in complete opposition to the world-based-on-work. This volume, translated by Wolfi Landstreicher, is the first substantial collection of the writings of Os Cangaceiros in English.

Genres: History, Politics, Philosophy

Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Artnoose McMoose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an English translation of writings of the French anti-prison group Os Cangaceiros. Although it's a small book--- fits in your pocket unless you have those useless hot-pants pockets--- it took me a while to plow through it because I started getting less interested in the middle. The last bits were funny and exciting though, when the group writes letters to their targets.

[ػᶈᶏϾӗ]

Certainly wouldn't be at the top of my recommendation list, but there's a few good things in here. First, I always like stories of shenanigans against the state, and especially against prisons. I feel like anti-prison stuff is always in short supply. This was ok as far as that theme went. There's some good history stuff, too, and I always like a good retelling of history from an anarchist POV. (Does it always have to be so sweeping, though?) Anyway, this didn't feel like it was TOTALLY about JUST ONE COUNTRY in one specific moment, like a lot of reprints/recoveries are tending to do, and it was a quick and relatively enjoyable read.

[Ailith Twinning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one of the best English-language works on Anarchism. It's coherent, consistent, and doesn't involve the Randian utopian nonsense.

I won't comment on whether I agree with the authors exactly -- just, this gives a pretty clear view of one corner of things.

[Gabriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fight the power. They did and were never caught. Only in France. In Greece, on the other hand, anarchists are imprisoned only to be released after months of rioting. And America?