Books

First edition, first impression, of Orwell's warning against corruption and totalitarianism under any political regime. The allegorical fable quickly made Orwell famous, both in Britain and abroad, and it has since appeared in every major language and has never been out of print. Orwell explained in a 1946 essay entitled "Why I Write" that "Animal Farm was the first book in which I tried, with full consciousness of what I was doing, to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole". The imprint of the first impression reads "May 1945", though publication was delayed until August due to wartime paper shortages. Octavo. Late 20th-century pigskin by Sangorski & Sutcliffe for booksellers E. Joseph, red morocco spine label lettered vertically in gilt between raised bands, board edges and turn-ins ruled in gilt, marbled endpapers, edges gilt, binder's stamp on front pastedown. Faint marks to binding, contents clean. A near-fine copy. Connolly 93; Fenwick A.10a.

Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. The book tells the story of a group of farm animals who revolt against their human farmer, hoping to create a society where animals can be equal, free, and just. However, the revolution is hijacked by the pigs, who become just as oppressive as the humans. Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution and the subsequent Soviet Union.