Including The Road to Wigan PierNo one wrote better about the English character than Orwell New York Review of BooksMuch of George Orwells best writing brought together in this collection is concerned with his complex often contradictory attitude to England In the brilliantly perceptive The English People he lists the national characteristics as suspicion of foreigners sentimentality about animals hypocrisy exaggerated class distinctions and an obsession with sport The Road to Wigan Pier his blistering account of poverty in the north of England and many of his essays attack what he called the most classridden country under the sun while other writings here ruminate on the merits of cricket gardening roast dinners pubs tea and seaside postcardsEdited by Peter Davison with an Introduction by Ben Pimlott