The Lion and the Unicorn: Socialism and the English Genius

"As I write, highly civilized human beings are flying overhead, trying to kill me."

Four years before Animal Farm and Eight before 1984 (the book, not... You know.) Orwell wrote a set of essays about what he believed would be an inevitable and necessary shift to left-wing ideals that would allow allied nations to defeat Nazi Germany. "English Socialism" as opposed to Soviet Communism.

It's an interesting read, and, barring the war, a lot of it was very relevant today. He writes about wealth inequity, the class structure and privilege. It's worth a read if you're interested in UK politics, this quote relevant even today:

"Right through our national life, we have got to fight against privilege, against the notion that a half-witted public schoolboy is better for command than an intelligent mechanic."