A careful chronicle of political change and hope in 1930s Spain, this staggering work examines how the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT), rose up against the oppressive structures of Spanish society. Documenting a history of revolution that failed at the hands of its enemies on both the reformist left and reactionary right, this intelligent account covers all areas of the anarchist experience—from the spontaneous militias and the revolutionary collectives to the moral dilemmas occasioned by the clash of revolutionary ideals and the stark reality of the war effort. Passionately written and carefully indexed, this edition is the only in-depth English-language text available and converts the work into a usable tool for historians and anarchists alike.

Volume 1 focuses on the initial stages of the Spanish Revolution as the CNT gathered strength, built an anarchist civilian and military movement, and confronted Franco's fascist army. Additionally, "The History of a History" by editor Chris Ealham traces the writing, publication, and various turns Peirats's book took to reach this new English-language text.