The World That Never Was
ISBN 9780224078078 | |
The World That Never Was: A True Story of Dreamers, Schemers, Anarchists, and Secret Agents is a 2010 book by Alex Butterworth about anarchism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Europe and the United States.
Overview
The book begins with the story of the exposure of Yevno Azef, a leading member of Russia's Socialist Revolutionary Party, as an agent of the Okhrana in 1908. Butterworth then moves on to the events preceding the Paris Commune of 1871, including biographical sketches of the French anarchist and geographer Élisée Reclus and the German spy Wilhelm Stieber; and the Commune itself, with an account centring on the experience of Louise Michel, an anarchist and school teacher. The following chapters focus on the activities of the Russian anarchist and geographer Peter Kropotkin, the French radical Victor Henri Rochefort, Marquis de Rochefort-Luçay, the Russian revolutionary Nikolai Tchaikovsky and the Russian spy Pyotr Rachkovsky in the 1870s.
Butterworth's focus then moves to London, focusing in particular on the artist and writer
Critical reception
Mike Rapport of
Wendy Smith in the
In the
Socialist feminist writer Sheila Rowbotham, writing in The Independent, wrote that "The World That Never Was conveys the labyrinthine coils of conspirators and spies with graphic panache" but noted Butterworth's failure to convey his characters' ideals and motives, and his imprecise referencing style.[11] Leo McKinstry of the Daily Express praised the book's scope and its "rich cast of characters" but argued it was let down by Butterworth's style and his sympathy for his subjects.[12] Writing for The A.V. Club, Samantha Nelson gave the book a rating of "B−", explaining that "Butterworth's fascination with the era is a mixed blessing";[13] while Clif Garboden of the Boston Phoenix questioned the book's style and presentation but described it as "interesting, important, impressively (too) thorough, fair, and eye-opening".[14] In the International Socialist Review, Eric Kerl wrote "The World That Never Was brilliantly contextualizes the political radicalism of the time", but criticised Butterworth's ambivalence towards Marxism and Leninism and lack of an analysis of revolutionary strategy.[15]
See also
References
- ^ Rapport, Mike (5 March 2010). "The World That Never Was". BBC History. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Christie, Stuart (27 March 2010). "The World That Never Was: A True Story of Dreamers, Schemers, Anarchists and Secret Agents by Alex Butterworth". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Wheen, Francis (5 April 2010). "The World That Never Was". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Preston, Peter (11 April 2010). "The World That Never Was by Alex Butterworth". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Smith, Wendy (1 August 2010). "Book Review: How the plan to fall apart soon fell apart". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 16 September 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Smolens, John (29 August 2010). "Alex Butterworth's "The World That Never Was," a history of anarchism". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Mazower, Mark (Summer 2011). "Propaganda of the Deed". Bookforum. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- Gray, John (18 March 2010). "The World That Never Was: a True Story of Dreamers, Schemers, Anarchists and Secret Agents". New Statesman. Archivedfrom the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Alexander, Richard (Summer 2010). "Review of Alex Butterworth, The World That Never Was: A True Story of Dreamers, Schemers, Anarchists and Secret Agents" (PDF). Lobster. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Peers, David (9 April 2011). "The World That Never Was, Alex Butterworth". Freedom. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Rowbotham, Sheila (19 March 2010). "The World That Never Was: A True Story of Dreamers, Schemers, Anarchists and Secret Agents, By Alex Butterworth". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ McKinstry, Leo (26 March 2010). "The World That Never Was: Alex Butterworth". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Nelson, Samantha (17 June 2010). "Alex Butterworth: The World That Never Was". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Garboden, Clif (17 August 2010). "Review: The World That Never Was". Boston Phoenix. Archived from the original on 10 October 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Kerl, Eric (November 2010). "The characters of early anarchism". International Socialist Review. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
Further reading
- Howse, Christopher (20 March 2010). "The World that Never Was by Alex Butterworth: review". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- McConnachie, James (14 March 2010). "The World That Never Was: A True Story of Dreamers, Schemers, Anarchists and Secret Agents by Alex Butterworth". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Miller, Laura (21 June 2010). "The first war on terror". Salon. Archivedfrom the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- Price, Matthew (25 July 2010). "Seeking a new world disorder: A history of European anarchists, fascinating if a bit thin". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
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: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - "The World That Never Was". from the original on 26 June 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2023.