Orwell’s Ghosts

"'Full of fascinating historical detail and keen insights into contemporary politics, this is a gripping, insightful guide to Orwell's significance in the twenty-first century.' -- Sandra Newman, author of 'Julia' 'Essential reading for anyone who wants to know why Orwell is the ideal guide to our own age of upheaval.' -- Jason Cowley, Editor-in-Chief, The New Statesman 'Rescues Orwell from ""two-dimensional caricature"" to present one of our greatest novelists and essayists, warts and all. Beers reveals how Orwell's politics, shaped by the tragedies of the first half of the twentieth century, can help to understand our own age of insecurity. An essential read.' -- Rachel Reeves MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer 'With all and sundry taking Orwell's name in vain these days, it is timely to have a reminder of who he was and what he believed in, and also how his body of work can help us understand the world we live in now. Just the insight into his writings, beyond the obvious and best-known titles, makes ""Orwell's Ghosts"" well worth reading.' -- Nicola Sturgeon, former First Minister of Scotland 'A refreshing challenge to half-remembered, lazy assumptions about Orwell's ideas, pinpointing what he actually meant and why it matters. Rooted in the history essential for truly understanding Orwell, this book helps us think again about why we should read him today.' -- Charlotte Lydia Riley, author of 'Imperial Island: A History of Empire in Modern Britain' 'Beyond Orwell's relevance to our terrifying present of post-truth politics and the shadow of tyranny, Beers shows how his often-forgotten socialist politics ought to matter to his legacy---and how the antiracism and feminism of our present demonstrate Orwell's limitations. Her wonderful book suggests that the relation between past and present is anything but simple.' -- Samuel Moyn, Yale University"