In this infamous work, Sorel fiercely advocates for violent revolution as the only means of effecting lasting social change.

He details such factors as the role of violence and force in revolutionary movements; the use of insurrection and general strikes; and mythmaking as a key in spurring on and sustaining revolutions. A major influence on Benito Mussolini, the book is still considered controversial and provocative more than 100 years after its publication.