My introductory greeting and my first question for anyone who can help me

Corzo said:

I would first like to introduce myself, I am Corzo, I am from Peru, but live in Virginia, U.S.A. During the last couple of years I have dedicated myself to reading, it has become my passion. Not only novels, but poetry and philosophy, from Kerouac, to Rimbaud, to Sartre. Anyhow the reason I joined is in regards to a question I had, that no one seemed to be able to give the answer I seeked. I am interested in purchasing a copy of William Powell's "The Anarchist Cookbook", and have ordered one from Books-A-Million, not with the intetions of making bombs or anything of the sort, but just out of curiosity. The question I had is, I ordered the edition with the black cover, and the introduction by Peter Bergman, which is going to cost me $30, I would like to know if anyone here knows about this edition and give me their feedback on thoughts about the book (for example if it's worth reading, or if the price is too high, or if there is a better edition, etc). And also if someone could let me know more about these troublesome options, buttons and phrases so that I may become more efficient while using this forum. I would certainly appreciate it. Thank You

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I have recently been made aware of several websites that focus on The Anarchist Cookbook. As the author of the original publication some 30 plus years ago, it is appropriate for me to comment.
The Anarchist Cookbook was written during 1968 and part of 1969 soon after I graduated from high school. At the time, I was 19 years old and the Vietnam War and the so-called \223counter culture movement\224 were at their height. I was involved in the anti-war movement and attended numerous peace rallies and demonstrations. The book, in many respects, was a misguided product of my adolescent anger at the prospect of being drafted and sent to Vietnam to fight in a war that I did not believe in.

I conducted the research for the manuscript on my own, primarily at the New York City Public Library. Most of the contents were gleaned from Military and Special Forces Manuals. I was not member of any radical group of either a left or right wing persuasion.

I submitted the manuscript directly to a number of publishers without the help or advice of an agent. Ultimately, it was accepted by Lyle Stuart Inc. and was published verbatim \226 without editing \226 in early 1970. Contrary to what is the normal custom, the copyright for the book was taken out in the name of the publisher rather than the author. I did not appreciate the significance of this at the time and would only come to understand it some years later when I requested that the book be taken out of print.

The central idea to the book was that violence is an acceptable means to bring about political change. I no longer agree with this.

Apparently in recent years, The Anarchist Cookbook has seen a number of \221copy cat' type publications, some with remarkably similar titles (Anarchist Cookbook II, IIIetc). I am not familiar with these publications and cannot comment upon them. I can say that the original Anarchist Cookbook has not been revised or updated in any way by me since it was first published.

During the years that followed its publication, I went to university, married, became a father and a teacher of adolescents. These developments had a profound moral and spiritual effect on me. I found that I no longer agreed with what I had written earlier and I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the ideas that I had put my name to. In 1976 I became a confirmed Anglican Christian and shortly thereafter I wrote to Lyle Stuart Inc. explaining that I no longer held the views that were expressed in the book and requested that The Anarchist Cookbook be taken out of print. The response from the publisher was that the copyright was in his name and therefore such a decision was his to make \226 not the author's. In the early 1980's, the rights for the book were sold to another publisher. I have had no contact with that publisher (other than to request that the book be taken out of print) and I receive no royalties.

Unfortunately, the book continues to be in print and with the advent of the Internet several websites dealing with it have emerged. I want to state categorically that I am not in agreement with the contents of The Anarchist Cookbook and I would be very pleased (and relieved) to see its publication discontinued. I consider it to be a misguided and potentially dangerous publication which should be taken out of print.

William Powell

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