On Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Biography

From the author of the definitive biography of George Orwell,a captivating account of the origin and enduring power of his landmarkdystopian novel

Since its publication nearly 70 years ago, George Orwell's 1984has been regarded as one of the most influential novels of the modernage. Politicians have testified to its influence on their intellectualidentities, rock musicians have made records about it, TV viewers watch areality show named for it, and a White House spokesperson tells of"alternative facts." The world we live in is often described as anOrwellian one, awash in inescapable surveillance and invasions ofprivacy.

On 1984 dives deep into Orwell's life to chart his earlierwritings and key moments in his youth, such as his years at a boardingschool, whose strict and charismatic headmaster shaped the idea of BigBrother. Taylor tells the story of the writing of the book, takingreaders to the Scottish island of Jura, where Orwell, newly famousthanks to Animal Farm but coping with personal tragedy and rapidly declining health, struggled to finish 1984.Published during the cold war-a term Orwell coined-Taylor elucidatesthe environmental influences on the book. Then he examines 1984's post-publication life, including its role as a tool to understand our language, politics, and government.

In a current climate where truth, surveillance, censorship, and criticalthinking are contentious, Orwell's work is necessary. Written withresonant and reflective analysis, On 1984 is both brilliant and remarkably timely