Orwells Ghosts: Wisdom and Warnings for the 21st Century

Seventy-five years after 1984 first published, George Orwell is back. Progressives denounce Orwellian untruths by Trump, Johnson, Putin et al, while conservatives accuse governments and mainstream media of Orwellian censorship. But what does Orwellian really mean? What would the man himself say about these crises, and what can we learn from his ideas?

Orwells Ghosts reveals Orwell in all his complexity, exploring his commitment to political liberty and economic justice alongside his undeniable chauvinism. This sharp free thinkers commentaries remain invaluable, whether on political truth, disinformation, class, race and empire, or highlighting the promise of socialism and the dangerous appeal of authoritarianism. Even Orwells misogyny offers troubling lessons about gender politics on the left. All of his books show remarkable resonance between the first half of the twentieth century and todays world.

Revisiting Orwells own age of rapid change and urgent crossroads, this book sheds unique light on both our recent past and our current upheavals.