Explores George Orwell’s political evolution and enduring vision, showing how his reflections on war, ideology, and justice remain relevant in today’s world.
From Class War to Cold War traces George Orwell’s political evolution from the mid-1930s to his death in 1950 through his engagement with three defining conflicts: the Spanish Civil War, the Second World War, and the Cold War. Although he died a socialist, disappointed that the Labour Party was not going far enough, Orwell’s views had evolved as history unfolded—from apoliticism to commitment; from near-pacifism to support for the war against Hitler; from relativism to a fierce opposition to totalitarianism, notably the Soviet model. Drawing on his writings and influences, including Spain’s post-Trotskyist POUM and the British Independent Labour Party, this book explores how Orwell’s wartime experiences shaped his thinking and sharpened his political purpose. From Homage to Catalonia to The Lion and the Unicorn and Nineteen Eighty-Four, he grappled with the complexities of socialism, nationalism, imperialism, and propaganda. From Class War to Cold War examines the tensions between the author’s anti-Soviet stance and his enduring commitment, not just to socialism but to democracy, equality, and common decency. The book reasserts his importance at a time when all of these are again under threat.
From Class War to Cold War traces George Orwell’s political evolution from the mid-1930s to his death in 1950 through his engagement with three defining conflicts: the Spanish Civil War, the Second World War, and the Cold War. Although he died a socialist, disappointed that the Labour Party was not going far enough, Orwell’s views had evolved as history unfolded—from apoliticism to commitment; from near-pacifism to support for the war against Hitler; from relativism to a fierce opposition to totalitarianism, notably the Soviet model. Drawing on his writings and influences, including Spain’s post-Trotskyist POUM and the British Independent Labour Party, this book explores how Orwell’s wartime experiences shaped his thinking and sharpened his political purpose. From Homage to Catalonia to The Lion and the Unicorn and Nineteen Eighty-Four, he grappled with the complexities of socialism, nationalism, imperialism, and propaganda. From Class War to Cold War examines the tensions between the author’s anti-Soviet stance and his enduring commitment, not just to socialism but to democracy, equality, and common decency. The book reasserts his importance at a time when all of these are again under threat.