Action Directe: Ultra Left Terrorism in France 1979-1987 [Paperback]

Michael Y. Dartnell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0714642126 | ISBN-13: 978-0714642123 | Publication Date: August 3, 1995

In defining Action Directe's mixture of millenarianism, workerism and nihilism, this study explains why the group turned to a strategy of murderous strikes and how a revolutionary political faction emerged in a stable western society.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Dr Michael Dartnell has written an excellent ideological and operational profile of the French terrorist group Action Directe. To my knowledge it is the only book written in English on this group.' - Dennis Pluchinsky, US Department of State, Terrorism & Military Intelligence

'It is increasingly rare to find a book which goes further than its title suggests ... it is a wide-ranging analysis of the history and political culture from which terrorism can emerge in a stable Western democracy.' - Intelligence and National Security

'This is another in half a dozen excellent studies of terrorism published by Cass.' - Terrorism

'Michael Dartnell's book represents an important addition to the existing literature on the nature of terrorism in France in general and on Action Directe in particular... in short, a valuable reference book for students of terrorism and/or French politics and culture.' - Modern & Contemporary France



Terrorism and Political Violence- Dennis Pluchinsky, Office of Intelligence and Threat Analysis, US Dept of State- Dr Michael Datrnell has written an excellent ideological and operational profile of the French terrorist group Action Directe...it is the only book written in English on this group...it will become a single source, English-language reference on AD

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (August 3, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714642126
• ISBN-13: 978-0714642123
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,867,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quite good, but a little too academic, July 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Action Directe: Ultra Left Terrorism in France 1979-1987 (Hardcover)

This is an exelent book for those who wants information about the ideological, political and armed strategy of a movement that had its roots in the events of May '68, completely in line with the French (leftist) political violence since the 1789 revolution. It shows how the organisation mixed maoism with anarchism (not a good combination), which, in 1982, led to the split into two factions: Action Directe nationale (ADn), and Action Directe internationale (ADi). It also shows AD's relations with other militant leftist groups operating in France, such as GARI (Groups d'action révolutionnaires internationalistes) and NAPAP (Noyaux armés pour l'autonomie populaire) and shows ADi's cooperation and relations with its European counterparts; the Italian Brigate Rosse (BR), the Belgian Cellules Combattantes Communistes (CCC) and, not the least, the Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF). As Dartnell's discussion shows, AD was a rational organisation which laid in line with the french political tradition. AD believed that the small groups of young people that first appeared in Europe in the late '70s, calling themselves autonomists, would be the "new revolutionary class" - they only needed a goal to hold on to. Readers should be aware of that this book is written in a pure academic way. It seems that Dartnell has tried very hard to be neutral in his writing - which, you have to say, have succeeded. In some parts, however, it seems like the "discussion", as Dartnell calls it, becomes more of a "discussion about a discussion", specially in the beginning of the chapters. And the chapter outlining the history of Action Directe could have been a bit longer... Altogether, its a good book and I give it four stars - partly because there are no other book in English about Action Directe (and my french, it should be said, could be a bit better).