The Conquest of Bread

A brilliant blueprint for a free society by one of anarchism's most famous theorists.

The Conquest of Bread is Peter Kropotkin’s most extensive study of human needs and his outline of the most rational and equitable means of satisfying them. The most important and widely read exposition of anarchist economic theory, its combination of detailed historical analysis and far-reaching utopian vision is a step-by-step guide to social revolution: the concrete means of achieving it and the new world that humanity can create. Writing in a way that he describes as "moderate in style, but revolutionary in substance," Kropotkin adeptly translates complex ideas into common language, while rendering the often-amorphous aspirations of social movements into coherent form. Includes an introduction that historically situates and discusses the contemporary relevance of Kropotkin’s ideas.

The Working Classics Series revives lineages of radical thought from the history of the anarchist movement.

Peter Kropotkin (1842–1921) was a Russian prince who renounced his nobility and devoted his life to anarchism. His classic works include Fields, Factories, and Workshops; Memoirs of a Revolutionist; and Mutual Aid.

Charles Weigl is a writer and activist based in Berkeley, CA, and former collective member of AK Press.