Perhaps the most famous and admired of the Spanish anarchists, Buenventura Durruti (1896-1936) played a central role in the events of the Spanish Revolution, the anarchist response to the dictatorship of Francisco Franco and the Spanish Civil War, especially through his activities with the Federaci̤n Anarquista Ibřica (FAI) and the anarcho-syndicalist trade union Confederari̤n Nacional del Trabajo (CNT). This is a sympathetic political biography of Durruti--written by an anarchist activist himself jailed for guerilla activity against Franco--that also can serve as a somewhat dense introduction to the radical politics of Spain during the Spanish Civil War and in the years preceding. The narrative stretches from Durruti's involvement in the strikes of 1917 through his leading of anarchist militias until his death during the Battle of Madrid, which resulted in the fall of the city to the forces of Franco. Annotation 2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
