The Dynamite Club: How a Bombing in Fin-de-siècle Paris Ignited the Age of Modern TerrorFrom an award-winning Yale historian, the fascinating story of a long-forgotten "war on terror" that has much in common with our own On a February evening in 1894, a young radical intellectual named Emile Henry drank two beers at an upscale Parisian restaurant, then left behind a bomb as a parting gift. This incident, which rocked the French capital, lies at the heart of The Dynamite Club, a mesmerizing account of Henry and his cohorts and the war they waged against the bourgeoisie-- setting off bombs in public places, killing the president of France, and eventually assassinating President McKinley in 1900. Paris in the belle epoque was a place of leisure, elegance, and power.Newly electrified, the city's wide boulevards were lined with posh department stores and outdoor cafes. But prosperity was limited to a few.Most lived in dire poverty, and workers and intellectuals found common cause in a political philosophy--anarchism--that embraced the overthrow of the state by any means necessary. Yet in targeting civilians to achieve their ends, the dynamite bombers charted a new course. Seeking martyrdom, believing fervently in their goal, and provoking a massive government reaction that only increased their ranks, these "evildoers" became, in effect, the first terrorists in modern history. Surprising and provocative, The Dynamite Club is a brilliantly researched account that illuminates a period of dramatic social and political change--and subtly asks us to reflect upon our own. |
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The Dynamite Club: How a Bombing in Fin-de-siècle Paris Ignited the Age of ... John M. Merriman No preview available - 2009 |
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19e Siècle anar anarchism anarchist attacks anarchist groups anarchist newspaper Anatole Deibler archists arrested asked auberge Auguste Vaillant Autonomy Club avenge avenue de l'Opéra Bantman became Belleville bomb bomber boulevards bourgeois bourgeoisie Breton Brévannes Café Terminus Carmaux Charles Malato chist Clichy compagnons Conciergerie d'Axa death deed Deibler door Dupuy dynamite Dynamite Club Élisa Émile Henry execution explosion Félix Fénéon Figaro Fortuné France French Anarchist Exiles guards guillotine Hornbostel Italian Anarchists journalist killed Kropotkin L'Éclair L'Endehors L'Intransigeant later Le Figaro Léon letter Leyret lived London Madame Henry magistrate Maitron Malatesta Matin militant Montmartre mother murder neighborhoods Paris Parisian Pauwels Père Peinard police report police station policeman political Pouget prefecture of police prison propaganda Ravachol République Révolte revolution revolutionary Roquette seemed social socialist society someone stood street strike Terrorism tion told took trial turned Vaillant Varennes wanted workers young