All Hands on Deck wrestles with the struggles of all who, like Cassandra, see the future but are doomed not to be given credence. So what do we do? As anarchists, as people who care about living things? The landscape of struggle can seem sparse, and a call to action can offer much-needed reprieve.

Jan Goodey’s part-memoir recounts his experience of heeding the call to action from Insulate Britain, while remaining critical of many aspects of the organisation that do not co-exist well with the anarchism he cut his teeth on. The first part is a plea for pragmatism – to work together and form alliances across differences, because what is at stake is bigger, it is everything. He raises import-ant dilemmas and the contradictions inherent in any activism, with the recognition that these are not always reconciled.

A stand-out section serves as a guide for aspiring environmental activists – how to cope in prison, what to expect, and dos and don’ts. It’s here that Goodey brings in his personal experience and where the book becomes an invaluable resource. Specifics of different prisons are given, revealing the lottery within the system. Valuable survival tips are given as well as the positives, such as the mutual aid between oppressed people.

After this guide, there is a frank warning about the very real problems that arise when you are an ex-convict. An important part of any briefing, and one that is too often overlooked by activist groups. Solid practical advice is also given.

Goodey uses his experience to examine the ills the prison system perpetuates, as a melting pot where the injustices of society are magnified, all while the wider injustices of society are allowed to continue – he was put inside for doing his part to stop the thing that is causing climate breakdown. Prison not only oppresses the people inside, but also deters people outside from trying to improve society, and in doing so maintains both harms.

Goodey’s argument for cooperation in the face of environmental collapse continues with a concrete example of unlikely allies. If vegans can find common interest with farmers, maybe a leftist can work with, say, a different leftist? By collaborating on the challenges of the food system, Vegans Support the Farmers uses mutual aid to make alliances that don’t rely on the usual network of activist types. These types of connection are essential to achieving societal change.

For me, the weaknesses in the text lie in casting action and theory as opposed, rather than trying to join them in praxis, and for not critically exploring the concept of ‘accountability’ so that the state mechanism is given primacy. There was room for more discussion of the liberal roots of Extinction Rebellion, as the example given was a great catalyst, whereas their more liberal tendencies can be found within their demands and analysis. Admittedly, these more academic discussions may fall outside of the scope of this text.

This is a thoughtful and reflective piece with invaluable first-hand insights into the life and challenges of an environmental protester. Goodey sets out his argument for action while showing an awareness of the pitfalls of the type of activism he is aligning with. But more than that, it is an honest engagement with the very real cost of putting yourself on the front line – and the cost of not doing so.

All Hands on Deck: Climate Activism and the Way Ahead by Jan Goodey. Active Publishing, 2025. ISBN: 9781914567568

Sylvia Mann is an activist, and a former editor of Freedom, a London-based anarchist website and biannual journal published by Freedom Press.