Black-hatted, his coat concealing a deadly bomb, the anarchist skulks through history. In truth, anarchists are as diverse as Emma Goldman, the Amish, Sacco and Vanzetti, Thomas Paine, William Godwin, and Emiliano Zapata.

The Encyclopedia of Political Anarchy charts history's most misunderstood social movement. Covering political anarchy worldwide for the past 300 years, the book also examines the ancient roots of the movement, spotlights key individuals, and explores important groups, organizations, events, laws, legal cases, and theories.

More than just a reference source, Encyclopedia of Political Anarchy also tells the interesting story of sophisticated and complex social and philosophical forces that left their mark on the world—from the 13th century Free Spirit movement against the oppressive power of the church in France to the present-day Zapatista National Liberation Army in Mexico.