Ready for Revolution: The CNT Defense Committees in Barcelona

Ready for Revolution: The CNT Defense Committees in Barcelona examines the clandestine armed groups that protected Spain's anarchist labor movement in the early 20th century. The book traces the organization and activities of these defense committees from their formation through the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. The narrative follows the CNT's development of neighborhood-based defense networks in Barcelona and their role in resisting state repression. Through extensive archival research, Guillamón reconstructs the committees' internal structures, decision-making processes, and coordination across the city's working-class districts. The text incorporates first-hand accounts and previously unpublished documents to detail the committees' preparations for revolution and their response to the military coup of July 1936. Guillamón tracks the transformation of these small resistance groups into the organized militias that would help defend the city. This work reveals how grassroots organizing and militant antifascism emerged from the daily experiences of Barcelona's working class. The book demonstrates the critical role of advance planning and neighborhood-level organization in determining the success of revolutionary movements.

Based on available review data, this appears to be a niche historical text with limited online reader feedback. The small number of reviews prevents making broad claims about general reception. Readers appreciated: - Detailed research into the neighborhood defense committees - Clear explanation of how CNT organized at local levels - Primary source documents and testimonies - Maps and photos that illustrated the locations Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style - Assumes prior knowledge of Spanish anarchism - Limited scope focused only on Barcelona - Some translations awkward Ratings: Goodreads: 4.33/5 (3 ratings, 0 written reviews) AK Press (publisher site): No ratings/reviews LibraryThing: 4.5/5 (2 ratings) Note: This appears to be a specialized academic work with very limited public reviews available online. Most discussion seems to occur in academic journals and anarchist publications rather than consumer review sites.

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📚 The Defense Committees described in the book played a crucial role in defeating the military uprising in Barcelona on July 19, 1936, through a complex network of neighborhood-based resistance groups. 🏘️ Barcelona's revolutionary neighborhood committees operated their own bread-making facilities, schools, and healthcare centers, creating a working model of anarchist self-organization during 1936-37. 🔍 Author Agustín Guillamón spent over 30 years researching anarchist archives and conducting interviews with surviving militants to piece together this detailed history. ⚔️ The CNT Defense Committees transformed from clandestine paramilitary groups in the early 1930s into full-fledged organs of working-class power during the Spanish Revolution. 🗞️ The book draws heavily from previously unpublished documents and underground newsletters produced by the Defense Committees themselves, providing a rare ground-level view of revolutionary Barcelona.