Ebook: Freedom, My Dream: The Autobiography of Enrico Arrigoni

Freedom – My Dream and is the autobiography of Enrico Arrigoni (aka Frank Brand) an Italian-born anarchist illegalist who lived during some of the most exciting times in Europe of the past century. He was active against communists and fascists before, during, and after wars, news correspondent in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, and was staunch in his beliefs from beginning to end. This autobiography, the story of a life of resistance to church and state, bullshit and fascism, is full of adventure and heart, stories well told from a life rich with adventure, near escapes, good friends, and better enemies.

Arrigoni lived through the Russian Revolution, and was an anarchist war correspondent during the Spanish Revolution, seeing first hand and reporting on the iniquities of the communists as well as the fascists during that war.

This autobiography was originally published by Arrigoni and the Libertarian Book Club (which he helped start, in New York, and which still continues to this day), and went out of print and has been hard to find. This is an updated version that we are excited to present to anarchist readers who are interested in history, of who just like an exciting life story well told. Arrigoni went by many names (most commonly Frank Brand) in his illegal travels around the world, and escaped from many harrowing situations, including being held in one of the most brutal jails in Spain during the civil war there (his release was effected only through the personal efforts of some people including Emma Goldman).

The book is in two main sections, the first about his life and travels and adventures, the second about Spain – being reprints of his articles sent to the USA from many of the fronts of the war.

Arrigoni’s character comes through every page, with humility, humor, a love of life, and a dedication to egoism, a kind of anarchy that was less popular in his day than it is even today.