Latest / The History Book Buffs
How Did Orwell Know? George Orwell, Stalin & the Power of Truth
George Orwell wrote Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four before the full reality of Soviet domination in Eastern Europe had unfolded. So how did he see it coming?
In this episode of History Book Buffs, Antonia Senior and Roger Moorhouse discuss Orwell’s extraordinary political insight, his warnings about Stalinism and totalitarianism, and why his work still shapes political writing today.
Prompted by Antonia Senior’s Orwell Prize shortlist for Stalin’s Apostles, the discussion explores Orwell’s legacy through the worlds of espionage, Soviet propaganda and Cold War history. Did people already…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.