This is a reissue of the 1986 edition of a work that was originally published in the early 1960s and is considered by many to be the seminal history of the classical anarchist thinkers and movements. It traces the anarchist movement from the words and deeds of such precursors as the Anabaptists and the Diggers to the fall of the anarchist stronghold of Barcelona to the fascist forces of Franco in 1936, with an epilogue sketching developments to the 1980s. In the early part of the volume, Woodcock, who himself played a minor role in some later events, focuses on the most recognizable and influential figures in the rise of anarchism, including chapters on the political philosophies of Robert Godwin, Max Stirner, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Michael Bakunin, Peter Kropotkin, and Leo Tolstoy. The second half turns to the history of anarchist movements on the international stage and in France, Italy, Spain, and Russia, as well as a more cursory survey of the anarchist traditions in Latin America, Northern Europe, Britain, and the United States. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)