A rich and varied selection -- the only hardcover edition available -- of the literary and political essays of one of the greatest essayists of the century, on the eve of the 2003 centenary of his birth. Though most well known as the author of Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell left an even more significant and lasting achievement in his voluminous essays, which dealt with all the great social, political, and literary questions of the day. With his incisive prose style, he elevated political writing to the level of art, and his motivating ideas -- his desire for social justice, his belief in universal freedom and equality, his concern for truth in language -- are as enduringly relevant now as ever. Included among the more than 240 essays are Orwell's famous discussion of pacifism, "My Country Right or Left, " his scathingly complicated views on the dirty work of imperialism in "Shooting an Elephant, " and his very firm opinion on how to make "A Nice Cup of Tea. "