'The feeling that the very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world ... this prospect frightens me much more than bombs'. This new collection of George Orwell's brilliant essays, written during the Second World War, brings together five excellent examples of his writing from the darkest days of the the Second World War. Grappling with the principles of democracy, the meaning of literature and free speech in times of violence, and the sustainability of objective truth, Orwell offers a compelling portrayal of a nation where norms and ideals can no longer be taken for granted.

Like the best of Orwell's writing, these essays serve as timeless reminders of the fragility of freedom, and have just as much relevance to European politics today as they did in the 1940s.