Politics and the English Language: And Other Essays

Biographer Michael Shelden called Orwell’s Politics and the English Language “his most important essay on style”. First published in 1946, the essay exploded the language trends of the time and served as an inflection point in the debate about communication in the 20th century. This collection of essays published 1946-48 provides a comprehensive critique of the status of politics and speech in the mid-century. In addition to the eponymous title, five other essays are included in this edition: "Politics vs. Literature: An Examination of Gulliver’s Travels", "The Prevention of Literature", "Why I Write", "Writers and Leviathan", and "Poetry and the Microphone". With themes that are relevant in the age of political correctness, texting, and meme warfare, Orwell’s warnings and practical suggestions are perhaps more important today than ever.