This account of Orwell's life is chiefly concerned with what influenced
Orwell, his relations with publishers and editors, and the analysis of
certain key experiences - the deposition that during the Spanish Civil
War he was guilty of espionage and high treason; his work at the BBC;
his interest in pamphlet literature; and his time as a war
correspondent. There is a detailed assessment of his earnings from 1922
to 1945 and a fresh look at his attitudes to class, women, and religious
belief. Special attention is paid to his essays.