'Fifty years on, these ephemeral pieces still display a marvellous acuity and freshness and go some way to explaining why Orwell is such an influential English writer for the generations that followed.'ObserverGeorge Orwell wrote regularly for the Observer between 1942 and 1948. During the Second World War he filed superbly incisive stories from the Home Front and vivid reportage from north Africa. In its aftermath, he wrote brilliantly on the problems facing newly liberated France and devastated, occupied Germany, as well as the challenges facing the Labour government elected by landslide in 1945. He also casts a clear eye over unravelling French and British empires and the state of the Soviet Union. Combining reporting of the very highest order with profiles, analysis and book reviews, this complete collection is an indispensable addition to the library of any admirer of Orwell.