“Dynamite, cops, anarchists—what more could you ask for? With narrative élan, Johnson tells the story of how an ‘infernal’ invention forever disrupted our political world. It’s a fast-burning fuse of a book, every page bursting with revelatory detail.”—Erik Larson, New York Times bestselling author of The Splendid and the Vile
“[An] action-packed history. . . .Full of rousing speeches, feverish conspiracies, and tearful leave-takings, their soap opera-like story gives the book a romantic sheen. . . . Johnson’s entertaining true crime picaresque coalesces around the resonant irony of anarchists who dreamed of a stateless society getting crushed by an evermore powerful surveillance state. . . . The result is a captivating saga of vehement political passions quelled by cold technocracy.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Johnson's vivid, eye-opening history chronicles epic labor-movement battles, terrorist bombings failed and tragic, backlash against immigrants, love affairs, undercover operations, courtroom dramas, and prison life in a fast-paced narrative rich in cinematic moments and resonance.”—Booklist, starred review
