TheRussiananarchistPeterKropotkinwastheworld`sforemostspodesmanofanarchismattheendofthenineteenthandthebeginningofthetwentiethcenturies.TheConquestofBreadishismostdetaileddescriptionoftheidealsociety,embodyinganarchistcommunism,andofthesocialrevolutionthatwastoachieveit.MarshallShatz`sintroductiontothiseditiontracesKropotkin`sevolutionasananarchistfromhisoriginsintheRussianaristocracytohisdisllusionmentwiththeRussianRevolution,andthevolumealsoincludesahithertountranslatedchapterfromhisclallicMemeoirsofaRevolutionist,whichcontainscolourfulcharacter-sketchesofsomeofhisfellowanarchists,aswellasanarticlehewrotesummarizingthehistoryofanarchism,andsomeofhisviewsontheRevolution.
MARSHALL.S.SHATZ,isProfessorofHistoryattheUniversityofMassachusettsatBoston.HisPublicationsincludeSovietDissentinHistoricalPerspective(Cambridge,1980),JanWadawMachajski:ARadicalCriticoftheRussianIntelligentsiaandSocialism(Pittsburgh,1989),andaneditionofBakuninsStatismandAnarchyforthisseries(Cambridge,1990).