A history of the barricade - ric Hazan

In the history of European revolutions, the barricade is a glorious
emblem, especially the barricades of Paris, which graced all the revolts
of the nineteenth century. The barricade was always a makeshift
construction-the word derives from barrique, or barrel-but it
served as an offensive tactic in narrow city streets, enmeshing the
forces of repression. Barricades were also a theatrical stage, from
where insurgents could harangue soldiers and subvert their allegiance,
and their symbolic power remained alive in the historic French protests
of May 1968 and the Occupy movements. In a series of concise chapters,
Eric Hazan traces the many stages in the barricade's evolution, from the
Wars of Religion through the Paris Commune, drawing on observations
from contemporary thinkers.