Ishill, Joseph, editor (1924). Peter Kropotkin: the Rebel, Thinker and Humanitarian. Berkeley Heights, N.J.: Free Spirit Press.
And periodicals. Such work is assuredly worth seeing collected and printed.
Then, there are his personal letters to friends and comrades, some of great documentary value and as yet, nowhere published. This would add more illuminating material to his well-known "Memoirs of a Revolutionist". These were compiled with the intention of having them inserted here; but as the number of pages is limited, the greater part of them remains unpublished.
Far from the rumble of the Metropolis, and with sadly inefficient equipment, the writer has endeavored to do what he considers his spiritual duty. To this quiet spot of earth and sky he returns exhausted with the day's work, and when wheels and arms took their nightly rest, he began to set and print these pages. His joy in the work was intermingled with pain, for he has encountered many obstacles. Three times has his little hand-press broken down, utterly unable to cope with the overload placed upon it. In the end it unconditionally refused to be of further service and had to be consigned to the scrap-heap. Then, at great sacrifice it was replaced by another old, but larger press which also showed great disinclination to work. But at last strength was conquered by determination.
The writer has sought to emulate the example of Kropotkin in Switzerland: During the hours when the workers were at rest around their hearths, Kropotkin would begin with a few others to set up the remaining columns of the "Révolte". He sought to imitate him in his spiritual tendencies.
It is sincerely hoped that this book may awaken in the hearts of the proletariat the desire to see not only a memorial book and one more worthy of Kropotkin, but also all his
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works collected and printed in hundreds of thousands of copies.
The writer wishes to express his thanks to M. Nettlau for his kindness and generosity in supplying an abundance of material, and many important suggestions for the book. He greatly regrets that there was not sufficient space for more than a small portion of the material submitted.
He is greatful to Rose Florence Freeman who rendered many
of the contributions into English. Thanks is also due to Thomas H. Keell, editor of "Freedom" who was kind enough to send some of the illustrative matter, and to Jean Grave for permitting to insert one of Kropotkin's personal letters. He also is greatful to the artist Maurice Duvalet who has generously contributed several woodcuts, and to all the other contributors who have sent their tributes in memory of the great rebel: Peter Kropotkin
Joseph Ishill
BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J.
AUGUST, 1923
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