A wide-ranging selection of George Orwell's essays, written in the clear-eyed, passionate and uncompromising style that has earned him a reputation as one of Britain's greatest writers.

One of the most thought-provoking and vivid essayists of the 20th century, George Orwell fought the injustices of his time with singular vigour through pen and paper. In this selection of essays, he ranges from reflections on his boyhood schooling and the profession of writing to his views on the Spanish Civil War and British imperialism. The pieces collected here include the relatively unfamiliar and the more celebrated, making it an ideal compilation for both new and dedicated fans of Orwell's work.

The essays included here are:

• 'A Hanging'
• 'Anti-Semitism in Britain'
• 'A Nice Cup of Tea'
• 'Books vs. Cigarettes'
• 'Bookshop Memories'
• 'British Cooking'
• 'Can Socialists Be Happy?'
• 'Confessions of a Book Reviewer'
• 'How the Poor Die'
• 'In Defence of English Cooking'
• 'Looking Back on the Spanish War'
• 'Notes on Nationalism'
• 'My Country, Right or Left'
• 'Politics and the English Language'
• 'Reflections on Gandhi'
• 'Shooting an Elephant'
• 'The Decline of the English Murder'
• 'The Lion and the Unicorn'
• 'The Moon Under Water'
• 'Why I Write'
• 'You and the Atomic Bomb'

Born Eric Arthur Blair, George Orwell (1903-1950) was a British novelist, essayist, and critic famous for his insightful social and political commentary. His personal engagement with real world issues imbues his work with a sense of social conscience that continues to resonate with listeners, and his two most famous novels, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, continue to captivate audiences worldwide.