News & Reviews

Detroit’s Black & Red has just released The Story of Tatiana (see description [in Fifth Estate Books] to the right) by Jacques Baynac. A list of titles, including Fredy Perlman’s works, are available upon request from us or, write B&R at PO BX 02374, Detroit MI 48202.

Last issue we mentioned The Anarchist Cookbook along with Dave Foreman’s Eco-Defense as two books despised by the authorities, and were marveling at the 25,000 copies sold of the latter edition. However, the former has just celebrated its 2,000,000^th sale! The Anarchist Cookbook is not a culinary tract, but a how-to text of bombs, guns, booby-traps and incendiaries, and according to the New York Times, has become “a cult classic.” We have heard several times since it was published over twenty years ago that some of its “recipes” could backfire on the preparer. However, we never heard of an accident actually occurring.

The nuts and bolts of the book is preceded by a somewhat shaky essay on anarchism smacking of the militancy and guerrillaism of the era. Given its tremendous sales but relative limited amount of armed activities in the country, the book must mostly function as revolution or revenge fantasy material.

We don’t advocate the type of action which would come from its content, but it’s available from Barricade Books, Inc., PO BX 1401, Secaucus NJ 07096 for $25, plus postage. However, much of the material is dated, and if your interest lies in such things, you might do better with a Loompanics catalog which has cheaper, more up-to-date titles on the same subject. Write them at PO BX 1197, Port Townsend WA 98368.

Perennial Books (P.O. BX B14, Montague MA 01351) has one of the better selections of anarchist books, journals, and periodicals east of the Mississippi, and their attractive catalog #5 is available for orders. Although no price is listed, it is an 80-page pamphlet, so a bit for postage should be included. It also contains thoughtful essays and poetry.

Another interesting, although shorter and admittedly very personal catalog, comes from Bob Erler (c/o Libertarian Book Club, 339 Lafayette, Rm. 202, New York NY 10012) entitled Anarchist Booklist. The author sees it as an introduction to anarchist thought of both classic and contemporary titles. LBC also stocks a pamphlet of short pieces about Emma Goldman, and a collection of Hakim Bey’s “Radio Sermonettes.”

The 1993 Mid-Atlantic Bl@cklist contains 300 names of primarily East Coast contacts (individuals and projects) and reflections on last year’s anarchist gathering in Philadelphia. Great graphics. Available from Wooden Shoe Books & Records, 112 S. 20^th St., Philadelphia PA 19103; $1.

Nightcrawlers Anarchist Black Cross and several other East Coast ABC groups have proposed a political prisoner support conference for Aug. 20–21. They have published the first issue of an ABC Discussion Bulletin and hope to have one a month out until the conference which will contain proposals to be discussed when they meet. The issue features letters, proposals and prisoner updates.

The ABC has historically helped locked down comrades and this current manifestation is in the best tradition of mutual aid. Subscriptions are $10 from NJ ABC, PO BX 8532, Paterson NJ 07508; information and submissions to Nightcrawler ABC, PO BX 20181, NY NY 10009, to get on the ABC mailing list, L&R ABC, PO BX 853, NY NY 1009.

Ever wanted to scram; just leave all of your debts, obligations and official status (marked by your government and corporate issued identity cards) behind? Scram: Locating Under a New Identity by James S. Martin is one of those Loompanics’ titles for the outlaw and the wannabe which gives information on how to escape and re-surface.

The state is always totalitarian even in its “democratic” phase. People danced naked on the planet for a million years before being asked for, “Your papers, please.” or, “Citizen of what country,?”, so selecting your own identity shouldn’t be a crime, but a privilege. $16 postpaid from the address in the second item.

Also, new from Loompanics, Dirty Tricks Cops Use (And Why They Use Them) by Bart Rommel, a law enforcement “professional” that details illegal and brutal police techniques which are standard procedure for the cops. $19 postpaid.

“Serious essays, nonsensical rants, poems, and artwork” are being solicited by #23877, an anarchist prisoner, self-written zine. The first issue will have the theme, “Welcome to Prison...” and include general information about prison life. Write #23877, POB 40067, 75 King St., S, Waterloo ON N2J 4V1, Canada. You might ask what the significance of the title is.

The Fifth Estate has long offered free subscriptions to captives of the state—prisoners and GIs—supported by a fund provided by our other subscribers. However, there is only a certain number we accommodate both financially and under the terms of our Second Class mailing permit (which requires a certain percentage of fully paid subscriptions).

We definitely intend to continue our policy, but ask that other zines and papers do not list us as offering them. Word of mouth in the prisons gives us about as many as we can carry at the time. Thanks.

Anarchist Bulletin is a new international journal “concerned with all aspects of contemporary anarchist research and theory.” It grew out of the earlier Bulletin of Anarchist Research. It provides a forum for academic papers, as well as reviews and other cultural forms on anarchist themes. Papers will be refereed “by experts in the relevant fields.”

Submit manuscripts to Tom Cahill, Editor, Dept. of Politics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA 4YL, UK or order subscriptions for $24 (U.S.), from, The White Horse Press, 1 Strond, Isle of Harris, Scotland PA83 3UD, (bookstore distribution from AK Distribution, 22 Lutton Pl., Edinburgh EH8 9PE. Scotland).