John Newsinger - George Orwell

In this work, John Newsinger traces the evolution of Orwell's political thought, from his time as a colonial police officer in Burma, when he became aware of the violent and cruel reality of the British Empire, through his impoverished days in Paris and London, to his death.

Marked by his experiences in the Spanish Civil War, where he witnessed the utopia of revolution betrayed by communists in Stalin's service, Orwell would become a revolutionary socialist, fiercely opposing Stalinism. This position, which he maintained until the end, earned him exile from both the left and the right, who, ironically, took advantage of, and still take advantage of, his literary work.

Controversial episodes, such as the infamous "denunciation" of names associated with communist ideology, or his aversion to Gandhi's pacifist attitudes, are seen here in a new light and analyzed within their context. In a detached and well-documented portrait, Newsinger unveils a lesser-known Orwell, fundamental to understanding his political views – the Orwell who fought, was a journalist and essayist – and the realities he lived through.