Play Audiobook Sample
Orwell: The Authorized Biography Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(4.01) - 86 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
In his probing and revelatory biography of one of the great prose stylists of the twentieth century, acclaimed biographer Michael Shelden breaks new ground in the evocation of George Orwell’s personal life and in our understanding of his art. Based on original interviews, previously undiscovered letters and documents, and astute literary detective work, Orwell is the major biography of one of the great yet elusive literary figures of our time.
Shelden reveals the author of 1984 and Animal Farm as a lively, engaging literary personality. Few writers can rival Orwell’s experience of history: being shot through the throat in the Spanish Civil War, holding the position of colonial police superintendent in Burma, and living through the Blitz. Shelden restores a sense of drama and passion to this writer’s life and shows him to be a captivating, even heroic character struggling against great public and private turmoil.
Download and start listening now!
"A very good thorough biography of George Orwell. Enjoyable to read, with many insightful observations of how his life was reflected in his writing of the day."
— Aaron (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“This life of Orwell furnishes new details of the career of a writer the influence of whose honesty and decency has been far greater than his literary accomplishments.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“[Shelden] offers a sympathetic but balanced account of Orwell’s life, and communicates well the wonderfully lucid, lively, and still very relevant quality of his writings.”
— Baltimore Sun -
“Intrinsically interesting…What Shelden does best is show how such events and circumstances as war and conflicts with authority shaped Orwell’s writing.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Not a dry summation of facts and figures, obsessions and works, this book brims with humor and compassion…A once-thought shy observer of humanity (and inhumanity) here becomes a passionate democratic socialist. A fine work.”
— Booklist
Awards
-
A 1992 Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Biography/Autobiography
-
A New York Times Notable Book New York Times Notable Book for Nonfiction
Orwell Listener Reviews
-
" One of the best literary biographies I've ever had the pleasure to consume. "
— Hans, 1/17/2013
About Michael Shelden
Michael Shelden spent twelve years as a feature writer for the Daily Telegraph in London and as a fiction critic for the Baltimore Sun. He has written several biographies, including Orwell, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a New York Times Notable Book. He is currently a professor of English at Indiana State University.
About Frederick Davidson
Frederick Davidson (1932–2005), also known as David Case, was one of the most prolific readers in the audiobook industry, recording more than eight hundred audiobooks in his lifetime, including over two hundred for Blackstone Audio. Born in London, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed for many years in radio plays for the British Broadcasting Company before coming to America in 1976. He received AudioFile’s Golden Voice Award and numerous Earphones Awards and was nominated for a Grammy for his readings.