This book traces how the invention of dynamite by Alfred Nobel (who went on to start the Nobel Prizes) led to the birth of the anarchist movement, which in turn led to the birth of the modern forensics-driven law enforcement agencies. Concentrating heavily on Emma Goldman and Alexander “Sasha” Berkman, this is mostly set in New York City. I can say this was a highly researched, informative, not dryly written book that seemed to not be able to make up its mind about anarchism. Johnson […]
“Disobedience, in the eyes of anyone who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion. —OSCAR WILDE”
The Infernal Machine: A True Story of Dynamite, Terror, and the Rise of the Modern Detective by Steven Johnson
