The Most Radical Gesture: The Situationist International and After (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The Situationist International was established in 1957 and published twelve issues of a journal, Internationale Situationniste, until 1969..." (more)
Key Phrases: situationist theory, spectacular relations, situationist project, Situationist International, Karen Eliot, Radio Alice (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

`An analysis of Situationism is long overdue, and Sadie Plant's rigorous account finally gives it credit for its enormous contribution to postwar theory and revolutionary politics.' - New Statesman and Society

`An analysis of Situationism is long overdue, and Sadie Plants rigorous account finally gives it credit for its enormous contribution to postwar theory and revolutionary politics. - New Statesman and Society

`Plant's book is a timely and important interrogation of the relationshiop between situationism and postmodernism, ...' - Modern & Contemporary France

`Plants book is a timely and important interrogation of the relationshiop between situationism and postmodernism, ... - Modern & Contemporary France

`This is the first accessible study of the situationists, one of the 20th century's more arcane and avante-garde political groups.' - Sunday Times

`This is the first accessible study of the situationists, one of the 20th centurys more arcane and avante-garde political groups. - Sunday Times

Product Description

Tracing the history, ideas and influences of the Situationist International, from dada to postmodernism, this book illustrates how situationist ideas continue to inform political events, cultural movements and theoretical debate.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (June 5, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415062225
• ISBN-13: 978-0415062220
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #885,698 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The SI as alternative to the abyss of po-mo, March 16, 2000

By	Miriam M. Lain "Douglas Lain" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Plant's book, along with Greil Marcus' "Lipstick Traces," served as my introduction to the ideas of Guy Debord and the Situationist International, so I'm not likely to be objective about its importance.

Plant argues that Debord's radical critique of capitalist/industrial society as spectacular is a precursor to postmodernism, or at least that these two positions share similar territory. This book is worth your time if you are interested in anarchism or libertarian socialism...it is also a nice study of dissident art in the last century.

Guy Debord is the most important political thinker of the second half of the twentieth century. His updating of Marx is worth investigating, and Plant's book is a nice introduction to this material.