Good introductory text on France '68?
Aug 29 2006 22:16
Does anybody know of a decent introductory text on the uprisings in France 1968?
I'd love to learn more about this because what I've read about the situs is really interesting and my knowledge is sketchy at best.
Aug 29 2006 22:32
#2
Thanks, will have a look 
Aug 29 2006 22:39
#3
preclude to a revolution is longer and also seems quite good, although not as politically bang on. (I haven't finished it). Was written by some american socialist who was working as a correspondent for the economist magazine believe it or not.
Aug 29 2006 23:31
#4
id be pretty suspicious of most texts on this subject(especially those which came immediatley following the dispersal of strikes). I've read maybe 5 or 6 accounts and recommend the the imaginary revolutionary by Michael Seidman as a fairly thorough introduction to the events. Enrages and Situationists in the Occupations Movement is in my opinion the best analysis of May '68, and Gregoire and Perlman's Worker Student Action Commiteesis apparently worth reading. Cohn-Bendits Obsolete Communism is alright but ignores several key groups who participated in the worker/student strikes.
Stay away from Tourraine's book.
Aug 29 2006 23:49
#5
I read Maurice Brinton's Diary (it's in the libcom library) recently and loved it. I wouldn't really recomend it as an introductory text though, as it's an account o[/b]f his personal experiences, not a general overview of the entire event.
Still, I think it's definately worth a read though.
Aug 30 2006 02:36
#6
oldmoleshadow wrote:
id be pretty suspicious of most texts on this subject(especially those which came immediatley following the dispersal of strikes). I've read maybe 5 or 6 accounts and recommend the the imaginary revolutionary by Michael Seidman as a fairly thorough introduction to the events.
What are Seidman's politics, btw? His book on Spain is v.critical (though well researched and not as damning as he'd like to think...)
Aug 30 2006 07:49
#7
hmmm...im actually not too sure...ive just read workers against work and was really pleased with it...i know he has written pretty extensively on the subject(libcom's got some of his work in its library)...his style seems sortof academic, however radical his theses are...sortof reminds me of john holloway's work
anyone else know??
Aug 30 2006 08:34
#8
hmmm i thought he was an ultra-leftist, very anti-union, bit verging on anti-organisationalist?
Aug 30 2006 17:39
#9
Quote:
hmmm i thought he was an ultra-leftist, very anti-union, bit verging on anti-organisationalist?
could be...his writing testifies to that description nicely
Aug 30 2006 18:29
#10
New text on May 68 just gone in library; http://libcom.org/libray/vermorel-may-68-paris
Somebody who met Seidman said he's pretty cynical about class struggle as a vehicle for change. But you could always see a bit of that cynicism in his writing.
Aug 31 2006 08:32
#11
Ret Marut wrote:
New text on May 68 just gone in library; http://libcom.org/libray/vermorel-may-68-parisSomebody who met Seidman said he's pretty cynical about class struggle as a vehicle for change. But you could always see a bit of that cynicism in his writing.
In him you can certainly see the beginning of that bizarre crossover between the ultra-left and nutcase anarcho-insurrectionists/primmos/etc...
Sep 1 2006 14:43
#12
Sorry. wrote:
oldmoleshadow wrote:
id be pretty suspicious of most texts on this subject(especially those which came immediatley following the dispersal of strikes). I've read maybe 5 or 6 accounts and recommend the the imaginary revolutionary by Michael Seidman as a fairly thorough introduction to the events.What are Seidman's politics, btw?
Dunno - but I read "The Imaginary Revolution" for my course last year (I know, wow!! Me studying!!) and he basically set about dismissing any claims of rank and file worker activity separate from the unions. He could well have been right I guess, but it was depressing.
Sep 1 2006 14:45
#13
georgestapleton wrote:
preclude to a revolution is longer and also seems quite good, although not as politically bang on. (I haven't finished it). Was written by some american socialist who was working as a correspondent for the economist magazine believe it or not.
It's basically some wishy washy romanticist bullshit. An attempt to transpose a very real and organic revolt into some idealised bohemian ideal of the Hollywood hero.
Not that I read all of it, of course. 
dunno about introductory but there's stuff here:
http://libcom.org/library/france-1968