Customer Reviews

Bandits, Revised Edition

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Not Hobsbawm's deepest work, but a fun one, to be sure. In a quick and lively read, Hobsbawm takes the reader through anecdotes and ballads about "social bandits," a la Robin Hood: bandits with a social conscience, or at least they are remembered that way.

The global scale of such banditry is both interesting (seems like peasants everywhere celebrate the guy who steals from the rich to give to the poor), but ultimately thin. Are bandits generalizable from Brazil to China to the Balkans? Hmmm.

Having read the original _Bandits_ and the new one, I can say that the revised edition is better, as it includes some nice discussion about the political economy of social banditry, and addresses other criticisms lodged by scholars over the years. Now we see bandits in light of power, class, and politics, which helps to make the book a more serious, though still lightweight, contribution to social theory.

The main subject Hobsbawm discusses in this no way 'lightweight' (though pretty short) book is the social role of banditry. The author in my view heavily draws upon the classical perspective of Marx on the ambiguity of peasantry (especially in modern times). Should Hobsbawm've gone that far with generalizations? Definitely, if banditry is to be seen as an element of more general picture.
Also the book set the stage for lively debates on the issue that produced some bulky literature.
Personally, I'd prefere some more discussion of the political stances of bandits with more scurpulous focus on speciefic cases. Though, what Hobsbawm wanted to say, he did.

This is not the last book written by Mr Hobsbawm, but a neccesary and expected reedition of a 60's vintage opus, with some addendas and improvements. As always, high quality is the mark of this reputed scholar. It has been so with every book written by him that I have ever read. Clearly he always has known how to give us, history geeks and scholar alike, crisp writting, deep insight of men and circunstances and the big sociologic picture inside which all get sense, but that never is too far of the little things - if so can be called particular human lives- that give blood to a really good history book. I have never been dissapointed by Mr Hobsbawm and I am sure I never will. Great book, sharp writting, smart understanding.

While this book does cover several aspects of banditry, it does not concentrate on one specific geographical area and therefore makes global conclusions. These conclusions are not always accurate, I feel.