No Harmless Power

“A biography that reads like a great adventure story, this tale of freedom-fighting and myth-making in early twentieth-century Eastern Europe is as entertaining as it is necessary.”
–Stephanie Feldman, author of Angel of Losses and Saturnalia

“Charles Allison has turned his talents to a topic
that was colorful and interesting even before recent global events gave
Ukraine fresh relevance. Allison’s accessible and humorous writing
saturates the book with passages that are chock-full of the sort of
informational nuggets that readers will enjoy passing along to friends
and family.”
–Matt Hongoltz-Hetling, author of A Libertarian Walks into a Bear: The Utopian Plot to Liberate an American Town (and some Bears)

“Charlie Allison’s examination of Nestor Makhno’s life is the most well-researched and cool-headed assessment I have yet to read. Makhno’s idealism was matched by his skills as a military strategist, his growing political sophistication and his commitment to Ukrainian independence. His revolutionary ideas were innovative and effective, and he remains a great Ukrainian hero both for his courage and for his intelligence. How Ukrainian history might have played out through the 20th century had Trotsky and his fellow Bolsheviks not betrayed Makhno is of particular and urgent interest to today’s political students and commentators. Allison’s research is both more thorough than anything we have seen for many years and displays the reality behind the myth of a great Ukrainian hero. I cannot recommend it more enthusiastically. To read Allison today is to understand not only yesterday’s conflicts but also tomorrow’s politics.”
–Michael Moorcock

“No Harmless Power is an exhilarating ride through the revolutionary life and times of Nestor Makhno. With wry humor, original research, and an unforgettable cast of characters,
Charles Allison gives a vivid account of a tumultuous period in the history of Ukraine and the Russian Revolution that ripples to the present day.”

–Tauno Biltsted, author of The Anatomist’s Tale

Charlie Allison is a writer, researcher, and storyteller based in Philadelphia. Charlie has worked as a gardener, tutor to children with learning disabilities, an English teacher, chess instructor, and as a bureaucrat. He has published short stories in Pickman’s Press, Podcastle, and Sea Lion Press. He currently runs his own website, where the genesis for this book was formed as a series of You Tube videos with the help of Sewer Rats Productions. He is active in the Philadelphia storytelling and mutual aid communities. Charlie is frequently bullied by his cat in the small hours of the morning.

N.O. Bonzo is an anarchist illustrator, printmaker, and muralist based in Portland, OR. They are the creator of Off with Their Heads: An Antifascist Coloring Book and illustrated Mutual Aid: An Illuminated Factor of Evolution.

Kevin Matthews is a computer networking expert and avid gamer. He began digital art during the COVID pandemic to increase his friends’ engagement in online tabletop games. It was only later that he proceeded to do professional work.

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