This was an interesting take on looting and one that I enjoyed reading. While I’m not sure I’m about to start looting any time soon, the arguments were unique.

This summer, as protestors gathered in the streets across the country following the unlawful murder of George Floyd, white liberals and conservatives alike, including myself, lamented the acts of rioting and looting.

This white response is problematic and dismissive of what our Black and Brown neighbors have endured since settler colonialism stripped them of their innate freedoms, lands, and safety. In Defense of Looting: A Riotous History of Uncivil Action is a thoughtful social and political history that provides us context for the revolutionary act of looting used by Black folks since the transatlantic slave trade.

Capitalism, property, and white supremacy are braided together and uphold the violent and impoverished system we continue to praise as the greatest nation on earth, the greatest economy ever, etc, etc. I recommend this book to anyone looking to fully understand the history and logic behind the rioting tactics we've seen in 2020, and what needs to change systemically before we even begin to expect peace in the streets. Hint: it starts with valuing human life over property.

Many Goodreads users came across the title of this book and rated it one star, which is truly a shame. I urge anyone grappling with the current moment to keep an open mind while scrutinizing information in order to form your own unique opinions and questions.

This book just dropped today, and it’s definitely one to pick up. This book is not just a defense of looting, but a history of capitalism, property rights, and the police in America. Most importantly, Osterweil explains how the history of looting is tied to the history of lynching—indeed they are inseparable—and traces this relationship through various riots in American history. If you’re curious about or looking for an erudite explanation of what “abolish the police” actually entails and why it’s necessary, this is an excellent place to start.

Osterweil is not a trained historian—something she is immediately forthcoming about—and while there are moments where her writing highlights this, her presentation is mostly well researched and hones in on an important and persuasive argument. While I don’t think you need any “prerequisite reading” to follow her arguments, she does cover a lot of ground in under 300 pages which necessarily asks the reader to fill in a few blanks. Some familiarity with the basic trajectory of settler colonies and history of the civil war and the 13th amendment would definitely make for a richer reading experience. We all made (and hopefully read!) extensive anti-racist reading lists back in June. This is just a continuation and a very timely one.

Goodreads review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3453694479

"There is, in my opinion, no legitimate moral, ethical, or political equivalence that can be made between the police murdering Freddie Gray and protestors breaking a cop car's windows in response, and yet both can be called 'violence.'"

Inspired by the 2014 Ferguson protests, Osterweil makes a compelling, passionate, and thoroughly researched case for how and why looting is an important and necessary tool for dismantling white supremacy. The book focuses mostly on looting against white supremacy in the United States, but it mentions movements and events across the globe.

This is TIMELY and SO GOOD and busts many of the myths surrounding the history and practice of looting. With the recent #BlackLivesMatter and police brutality protests of Summer 2020 still fresh in our collective consciousness, this book couldn't be more relevant. It should be required reading for white folks.

I think most folks will get a lot out of this book without having to read any prerequisites, but if you've done reading on the history of Black social movements in the US, capitalism, slavery, policing, labor movements, civil rights, etc -- I think you'll have a more rich and impactful reading experience. I hesitate to call this book "introductory" for most white Americans, but it is easy to read, educational, passionate, and extremely moving. While reading, I stopped often to look up individuals, events, and places Osterweil mentions because I was so fascinated and excited to learn more. I feel like I highlighted this entire book! I learned A LOT that I'm ashamed I didn't know before, and I have a huge list of books referenced by Osterweil that I've added to my "to be read" list.

The book ties settler colonialism to property, property to white supremacy. The police as an institution serves to protect white property (not to protect people), and ultimately maintain white supremacy. This makes sense, Osterweil argues, as modern day police originated from slave patrols.

"The police exist to prevent Black people and poor people from threatening rich white people's property rights: abolishing property is a direct attack on their power."

If you're interested in US civil rights, Black American history, labor movements, the history of policing... or anything mentioned above, this book is well worth your time and attention.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Bold Type Books for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The most impressive part of this book is that it was written in April and completed in May, just days before the George Floyd protests. The most notable part of this book is that most of it isn't a defense of looting: on the contrary, chapter 4 is a lengthy and well-justified attack on looting. The worst part of this book is that it participates in the racecraft it denounces. (I regret that I disliked this aspect of the book and will NOT post this review to online review sites other than NetGallet.) I couldn’t help think about the fact that most of the looted businesses in 2020 were POC-owned, a fact which the author goes to great lengths to evade.

Another point to me is that chapter 2 is not about looting but about slaves seeking freedom. The argument the author gives is that the slaves were “looting themselves.” I agree with the author’s thesis that the slaves freed themselves, but the whole point of abolitionism is that it’s unjust to call slaves property. The question of whether all property is unjust, and what to do about that if so, is a much hotter one than the chiefly historical narrative of this book can handle.

This book is not only timely, but important. It is a well written, thought provoking book which begs further discussion. While not necessarily an easy read, it is exceptionally researched and argued. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand the economic, social and long standing historical reasons that people engage in looting and other behavior which is otherwise looked down upon. Exceptional read.

As someone who spoke out against the looting going on where I live in NYC, this was an incredibly eye-opening book that changed my perspective. Understanding how riots are part of the fabric of the civil rights movement and activism through history, it is a crucial tool to achieving social change, gave me a different view of this kind of tactic.

This book was an outstanding look at the historic importance of riots, and one of the most controversial aspects of civil unrest, looting. The author skillfully explores the concept of our riotous history, within which these measures have often been necessary agents of change. This book was a wild, and timely read- filled with factual, but never dry content. I would highly recommend this book, and plan to purchase copies to give to others, because I think it addresses many of the questions people have about recent occurrences... also it’s just generally a great read.

Thank you NetGalley & Perseus Books, PublicAffairs for this e-ARC!

"In Defense of Looting: A Riotous History of Uncivil Action" by Vicky Osterweil is a nonfiction work that is accurately described by its title. Osterweil takes the reader from the etymology of the word "looting" and how it's meaning developing in relation to slavery through the events that have been taking place in America most recently. This book put into perspective the importance of the protests and looting that occurred in my home city of Philadelphia in reaction to George Floyd's death, which were an extension of the oppression that marginalized communities have been facing for hundreds of years. Also, something that stood out to me, without giving away too much, is what was for me the untold story of NON non-violence among the leaders of the civil rights era. Osterweil also pays homage to the many overshadowed black women who have been at the forefront of all major social movements throughout history. The extensive research that Osterweil put in this book had an outstanding payout. I definitely recommend this book to expand your knowledge of the role of "Uncivil Action" in social movements.