Homage to Catalonia (Unabridged)

“All the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting.”

George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia (1938) is a vivid, first-hand account of his time fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Joining the anti-fascist POUM militia, Orwell witnessed both the revolutionary spirit and the bitter infighting that plagued the Republican side. Through trench warfare, political betrayal, and a near-fatal injury, Orwell’s idealism is tested, ultimately giving way to a sobering critique of propaganda, factionalism, and the fragility of truth in wartime.

Born Eric Arthur Blair, George Orwell (1903-1950) was a British novelist, essayist, and critic famous for his insightful social and political commentary. His personal engagement with real world issues imbues his work with a sense of social conscience that continues to resonate with listeners, and his two most famous novels, Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, continue to captivate audiences worldwide.