The Joy of Revolution and Related Texts

It may seem absurd to talk about revolution. But all the alternatives assume the continuation of the present system, which is even more absurd.

Best known for his translations of works by Guy Debord and the Situationist International, Ken Knabb is himself the author of many incisive radical texts. The Joy of Revolution is widely considered his masterpiece. While there have been countless histories of past revolutions and countless examinations of the many flaws of the present society and the many methods proposed for reforming them, it would be difficult to name a single book that more clearly and concisely explores the problems and possibilities of a modern, situationist-type revolution.

Following a brief overview of the absurdities of the present social system and the failures of past efforts to change it, The Joy of Revolution examines the pros and cons of a wide range of radical tactics, first in the context of “normal” or “ordinary” conditions, then in the very different context of radical situations—those rare breakthroughs where masses of people start to call everything into question and real change becomes possible. The book then concludes with some speculations on how a postrevolutionary global network of culturally diverse liberated communities might work, and where we might go from there.

For this new edition, Ken has added some notes and updates to his original book and appended a number of his more recent texts—situationist-style “detourned” comics; a detailed refutation of anarcho-primitivism; reports on two remarkable radical movements in France (1998 and 2006); extensive observations on the coronavirus pandemic and the Trumpian mass psychosis; and a series of texts and talks on the Occupy movement, in which he was an enthusiastic participant.