Orwell's Ghosts

“Lucid, engaging…The complexity (and sheer volume) of Orwell’s work means that he has frequently been misunderstood. Beers reaches a satisfying synthesis.” – The New Yorker“A succinct, wide-ranging work…concluding with a reminder to those on the political left that they can only achieve their aims ‘through common endeavor’ with others.” – Harvard Magazine“Nearly three quarters of a century after George Orwell’s death, ‘Orwellian’ is one of the most misused adjectives in the lexicon. In this fascinating and timely study, Laura Beers teases out the real meaning of the word and its implications for the social and political arrangements of the twenty-first century.” – D. J. Taylor, author of Orwell: The New Life“Laura Beers’s reassessment of George Orwell’s legacy seamlessly weaves past and present to offer insightful lessons and cautions for our own time.” – Allan J. Lichtman, author of Repeal the Second Amendment“A brilliantly insightful study of George Orwell. All those interested in Orwell and our world today should read this book.” – Peter Stansky, author of The Unknown Orwell“A perfectly timed and desperately needed book.” – Tristan Snell, author of Taking Down Trump“Laura Beers’s book shows how Orwell’s often forgotten socialist politics ought to matter to his legacy—and how the anti-racism and feminism of our present demonstrate Orwell’s limitations. The wonderful results suggest that the relation between past and present is anything but simple.” – Samuel Moyn, author of Liberalism Against Itself“Laura Beers reveals how Orwell’s politics, shaped by the tragedies of the first half of the twentieth century, can be brought to bear to understand our own age of insecurity. An essential read.” – Rt. Hon. Rachel Reeves, MP, shadow chancellor of 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 it offers to his work beyond the best-known titles makes Orwell’s Ghosts well worth reading.” – Nicola Sturgeon, former first minister of Scotland“A critical assessment of the contribution that George Orwell’s writings can make to contemporary social, economic, and political problems.” – Kirkus Reviews“A valuable exploration of what it actually means to be ‘Orwellian.’” – Publishers Weekly

Laura Beers is a professor of British history at American University and the author of Orwell’s Ghosts, Your Britain, and Red Ellen, which received the Stansky Award. Her writing has appeared in the New Republic and Washington Post, among other publications, and on CNN.com. She lives in Washington, DC.