Une vie debout

the long version

This is the first volume of Harbi's promised autobiography. It covers his childhood and teenage years in Algeria and then his student days and early involvement with the FLN in Cairo, Paris and Cologne. Harbi was a an important figure in the left-wing of the FLN and one of the party's intellectuals. In France he was influenced by anarcho-communists like Daniel Guerin and the leader of the Foruth International Michel Pablo. As a marxist, Harbi fought hard against Islamic communalism and excessive militarisation inside the FLN and its associated organisations. It was a lonely fight but in its way it foretold the tragic history of Algeria. The book is full of extraordinary characters (for starters, his father and mother!) and doesn't shy away from his own rather chaotic love life. Highly recommended. My main complaint is that the promised second volume has not appeared.