While Malatesta was hiding from the police he regularly went to a cafe in
Ancona, Italy. He had shaved off his usual beard but he was still taking a
risk. Especially as this wasn”t an anarchist cafe, but had a variety of
customers including the local policeman. The conversations he had in this
cafi became the basis for the dialogues that make up this book. For the
first time in English, Malatesta, in his usual commonsense and matter-of-
fact style, sets out and critically analyses the arguments for and against
anarchism. Translated by Paul Nursey-Bray, this is a classic defence of
anarchism that anticipates the rise of nationalism, fascism and communism.