"This bold new reading of Orwell's work focuses upon his representation of communities and the myths that shape them. In particular, it analyses his interpretations of class, gender and nationality within the context of the political and literary culture of the 1930s and 1940s. It consequently intervenes in key debates over the significance and legacy of one of the most-widely-read and influential authors of the twentieth century. Ben Clarke uses a wide range of literary, historical and theoretical texts to argue that Orwell's radicalism lay in his attempt to integrate 'traditional' communal identities into a revolutionary socialist politics. Clearly written and forcefully argued, this new study should appeal to all those with an interest in Orwell's work, and in his fiercely held but idiosyncratic vision of socialism."--book jacket.