If We Burn

The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution

By: Vincent Bevins

Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon

“A remarkable new history” (David Wallace-Wells, New York Times Magazine) of a decade aflame—and what we can learn from its embers

From 2010 to 2020, more people participated in protests than at any other point in human history. Yet we are not living in more just and democratic societies as a result. Acclaimed journalist Vincent Bevins carried out hundreds of interviews around the world, guided by a single, puzzling question: How did so many mass protests lead to the opposite of what they asked for?

The result is a stirring work of history that connects events in a dozen countries and reveals that conventional wisdom on revolutionary change is gravely misguided. From the so-called Arab Spring to Gezi Park in Turkey, from Ukraine’s Euromaidan to student rebellions in Chile and Hong Kong, Bevins provides a blow-by-blow account of street movements and their consequences, recounted in gripping detail. In this groundbreaking study of an extraordinary chain of events, protesters and major actors look back on successes and defeats, offering urgent lessons for the future.

Critic reviews

“This is a wondrous work of mystery writing, an effort to solve the riddle: Why has a decade of large-scale rolling revolts produced no revolution, no significant structural reform? I can’t think of any journalist other than Bevins who would dare to ask such a question, or be capable of weaving together seemingly discrete global events into a stunning history of now. Have we planted seeds for a better future, or have the gears of change frozen for good? Bevins lets the people he talked to, those on the street, answer.”—Greg Grandin, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The End of the Myth

“In this remarkably assured and sweeping history of the present, Vincent introduces us to the activists, hackers, punks, martyrs, and the millions of ordinary people whose acts of bravery spurred the mass protests of the last decade. Bevins’s clear-eyed, sympathetic account of the unfulfilled promise of these protests leaves his reader with a bold vision of the future—one in which his book’s lessons are used to transform an uprising into a true revolution.”—Merve Emre, critic, New Yorker

“Ambitious, diligently researched, and provocative, If We Burn will transform the way you think. Vincent Bevins’ detailed, comparative reporting offers a riveting look at the contradictions, unexpected consequences, and lessons of mass protests.”—Alexa Hagerty, author of Still Life with Bones

“I was not expecting this, but I think If We Burn is even better than The Jakarta Method.”—Benjamin Fogel, editor, Jacobin

“This insightful study should prove valuable to future activists across the globe.” —Kirkus

Incredible.

This book is masterful. Bevins somehow manages to synthesize events across the globe throughout a decade in careful detail and engaging prose. It is an important work of recent history that helps us reflect on events we remember well. It is also an essential read for anyone interested in social movements and social change. It offers fascinating insights into the strengths and downfalls of social movements around the world- the same strengths and downfalls that we can expect today. In that way, it does the work of unveiling the recent past and instructing for the future.

Excellent modern history

Ties together disparate modern protest movements across the globe into a thought-provoking narrative. Really thorough research and interviews are supplemented by the author's own on-the-ground experience as a long-time foreign correspondent.

A must-read for anyone who has even a passing interest in international politics.

Wonderful overview with a challenging conclusion

As we live through the reactionary aftermath of the 2010s protest era, Bevins provides an insightful abd easy to follow story of what sparked these explosions and begins reaching towards how we might do better next time.

Incisive analysis of the global 2010s

I enjoyed this book, particularly its focus on Brazil as a detailed case study anchoring a wider analysis of a decade of mass protest without meaningful changes in regime or government in most cases.

My only knock is on the reader’s pronunciation of Portuguese—either coaching on phonetics or choosing a proficient or native speaker would have enhanced his otherwise strong reading performance.

Great book exploring the ups and downs of modern protest movements

Pretty good critique of the weakness of horizontalism, and how easy it is to get nowhere or be co-opted. Lots more but that's the big theme imo.