Anarchist Organization: The History of the F.A.I

by Juan Gomez Casas

This the first English-language history of the Federación Anarquista Ibérica, traces its history back to its founding and follows its development throughout the crucial civil war years. "Casas brings unique qualifications to the task of chronicling the history of the F.A.I.the effort is rewarding."-- Social Anarchism

Genres: Politics, History, Spain, Nonfiction

261 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Sugarpunksattack Mick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Juan Gomez Casas book 'Anarchist Organization: The History of the FAI' is a thorough account by a movement participant of the FAI (Iberian Anarchist Federation). Casas attempts to put the FAI in its historical context illuminating the pre-history of the FAI and essential relationship between the FAI and CNT as separate organizations that shared members and political perspective and commitments. Although the FAI and CNT are separate organizations they cannot be disentangled, which is a good thing.

Casas text can be a little slow moving because of how much background he provides before he even discusses the begins of the FAI. The first hundred pages covers the period before the CNT outlining anarchism emigration to Spain via Alliance of Social Democracy via Bakunin's work through his comrade Giuseppe Fanelli, an italian anarchist. Casas then proceeds up through the CNT and the rest of the book covers the FAI. All this might seem a little laborious, but this essential context helps to demonstrate why the CNT and FAI were such powerful forces in Spain as well as puts some criticism of the FAI to rest that comes from the socialist/communist left.

One of the best parts of Casas' text is his coverage of various controversies that the FAI faced. His ability to cite primary sources to dispute claims of FAI's dictatorial aspirations makes this book definitive for any anarchist and historian covering the FAI and Spain generally. Likewise, his coverage and extensive quoting of the FAI's own documents especially from conferences are essential for non-spanish speakers.

I also recommend 'We, the Anarchists!: A Study of the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI) 1927-1937'
by Stuart Christie. Christie's account is much shorter, and a little sharper outlining some of the major philosophical arguments of the movement.

[Vallan]

really laborious to read thus far. unfortunate. a whole lotta stuff that ought to have been tucked neatly into footnotes, say, at the end of the chapter, is poured over in the most uninteresting way.

8/27/11 i've abandoned this masochistic exercise in favor of a (hopefully) less tedious bell hooks classic. i guess $5 sales at the wooden shoe aren't always worthwhile. i might pick it up again if, say, casas rewrites it and chomsky endorses the rewrite.