A biography of Sakae Ōsugi, a radical Japanese anarchist during the Meiji Period. Ōsugi published numerous anarchist periodicals, helped translate western anarchist essays into Japanese, and created Japan's first Esperanto school in 1906. He and others were murdered in 1923 by military police in what became known as the Amakasu Incident.

Steve Shone’s Women of Liberty explores the many overlaps between ten radical, feminist, and anarchist thinkers: Tennie C. Claflin, Noe Itō, Louise Michel, Rose Pesotta, Margaret Sanger, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mollie Steimer, Lois Waisbrooker, Mercy Otis Warren, and Victoria C. Woodhull. In an age of great and understandable dissatisfaction with governments around the world, Shone illuminates both the lost wisdom of the anarchists and the considerable contribution of women to intellectual thought, influences that are currently missing from many classes documenting the history of political theory.

Arif Dirlik's latest offering is a revisionist perspective on Chinese radicalism in the twentieth century. He argues that the history of anarchism is indispensable to understanding crucial themes in Chinese radicalism. And anarchism is particularly significant now as a source of democratic ideals within the history of the socialist movement in China. Dirlik draws on the most recent scholarship and on materials available only in the last decade to compile the first comprehensive history of his subject available in a Western language. He emphasizes the anarchist contribution to revolutionary discourse and elucidates this theme through detailed analysis of both anarchist polemics and social practice. The changing circumstances of the Chinese revolution provide the immediate context, but throughout his writing the author views Chinese anarchism in relation to anarchism worldwide.

The Bloomsbury Companion to Anarchism is a comprehensive reference work to support research in anarchism. The book considers the different approaches to anarchism as an ideology and explains the development of anarchist studies from the early twentieth century to the present day. It is unique in that it highlights the relationship between theory and practice, pays special attention to methodology, presents non-English works, key terms and concepts, and discusses new directions for the field. Focusing on the contemporary movement, the work outlines significant shifts in the study of anarchist ideas and explores recent debates. The Companion will appeal to scholars in this growing field, whether they are interested in the general study of anarchism or in more specific areas. Featuring the work of key scholars, The Bloomsbury Companion to Anarchism will be an essential tool for both the scholar and the activist.

Arif Dirlik's latest offering is a revisionist perspective on Chinese radicalism in the twentieth century. He argues that the history of anarchism is indispensable to understanding crucial themes in Chinese radicalism. And anarchism is particularly significant now as a source of democratic ideals within the history of the socialist movement in China. Dirlik draws on the most recent scholarship and on materials available only in the last decade to compile the first comprehensive history of his subject available in a Western language. He emphasizes the anarchist contribution to revolutionary discourse and elucidates this theme through detailed analysis of both anarchist polemics and social practice. The changing circumstances of the Chinese revolution provide the immediate context, but throughout his writing the author views Chinese anarchism in relation to anarchism worldwide.

In his study of the treatment of political criminal suspects and prisoners from 1868 to 1945, Richard H. Mitchell makes a major contribution to our knowledge and understanding of Japan's criminal justice system at a most critical juncture in that country's history. Through careful research and sensitive evaluation of the source materials, Mitchell identifies two contrasting themes--a high degree of state repression and a concern for human rights--and shows how a system that clearly involved considerable brutality, torture, and illegal detention also exhibited elements of humanity and fairness. He argues that this contradiction is best understood by viewing prewar Japan as a "paternalistic police state," in which brutality was the other side of benevolence. The scope of inquiry of this study encompasses a broad range of issues. It assays laws for control of political dissent as well as the origins of the movement for human rights of criminal suspects and convicts, giving special attention to the behavior of defense lawyers. It sorts out the actors and their roles in upholding or violating individual rights and does a superb job of conveying the subtle difficulties faced by judges as well as the markedly "un-American" legal context of political trials. It describes and makes critical distinctions between conditions in prisons and facilities for special detention and surveillance, and it challenges a number of common assumptions, including long-cherished views about the differences between the 1920s and 1930s. Numerous cases of alleged police brutality are evaluated and police actions analyzed. Tenko (conversion), a novel method of dealing with political criminal suspects and convicts, is explored together with the little-known Criminal Compensation Law. Throughout, the yardstick by which treatment of accused and convicted criminals is judged is the state's own laws and regulations. In addition to evaluation by these internal standards, Mitchell devotes his final chapter to a very useful comparison with the situation in Europe during the same period. There is no other work in English on precisely this subject and no other related work of this scope. Although Mitchell's focus is on political offenders, there is enough material on the overall system to make this volume easily the best available resource on prewar Japanese criminal justice.

An inspiring analysis of events surrounding two women's attempted assassination of the Emperor of Japan, and the separate penalties faced by these women both in terms of their death sentences and the wider context surrounding their lives.

"An important study on modern Japanese social history that persuasively articulates quantitative data with well-chosen qualitative texts to tell the story of imperial democracy in Japan. The work shows real intelligence and great originality, and will make its mark on the practice of writing Japanese history."--Harry D. Harootunian, University of Chicago

What is a shogun? Who were the samurai and what is the warrior code? What lies behind the Japanese work ethic? From the ancient tea ceremony to the boom and subsequent downturn of its economic prosperity, this uniquely concise introduction to Japan and its history surveys nearly 10,000 years of society, culture, economics and politics. Balancing economic and political information with new insights into the twin spheres of art and religion, Mikiso Hane offers authoritative coverage of all aspects of Japanese life. With a particular focus on the key events of the last 200 years, the author also pays special attention to the changing conditions of those whose history has been so frequently neglected - the women, the peasants, and the lowest order of untouchables. Well-rounded and enlightening, this informative account of Japan and its people will be greatly appreciated by historians, students and all those with an interest in this diverse and enigmatic country.