Robert Colls, Professor Emeritus History, De Montfort University

Robert Colls was professor of English History at the University of Leicester before joining the International Centre for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort University, also in Leicester. He has written widely on modern British history, and for The New Statesman and the Literary Review, as well as for other newspapers and journals, and on television and radio including, most recently, The Rest is History podcast. His This Sporting Life (OUP 2020) won the Aberdare Prize for sport history writing.
His Identity of England (OUP 2002), George Orwell: English Rebel (OUP 2014) and This Sporting Life (OUP 2020) were Books of the Year in The Times, The Sunday Times, The Observer, The New Statesman and the BBC History Magazine.

"Do we need another book on Orwell? If it's written by Colls, the answer is emphatically yes." -- Jason Cowley, The Sunday Times

"Short, erudite and provocative ... doubleplusgood reading" -- Andrew Lynch, Irish Independent

"More than any other twentieth century writer, George Orwell has been-as Robert Colls puts it-"memeified". A buzzword has overshadowed the singular and unique individual that once existed. In this scholarly reassessment, the man himself is uncovered. Everything is freshly presented--his imperial origins and shifting politics, truth-telling journalism and relations with women. If you want a new view of Orwell, read Colls." -- John Gray, contributing writer for New Statesman

"This is a deeply impressive contribution to studies of the life and work of George Orwell. Robert Colls has already had a significant impact on the field of Orwell scholarship, and this book will consolidate that influence." -- Nathan Waddell, editor of The Oxford Handbook of George Orwell

"A brief, quirky introduction to this literary giant." -- Andrew Lynch, Irish Independent

"Colls' biography is essential reading at a time when democracies around the world are once again in danger... A short, splendid biography of a man who wrote superbly about totalitarianism." -- Kirkus

"A gracious tribute to Orwell's memory.... [a] must-read book." -- Christopher Bray, The Oldie

"A little gem of a book." -- Neil Mackay, The Herald

"If readers are wondering whether we really need another book about Orwell, the answer is, yes, if it's as perceptive, informative, and entertainingly written as this one." -- David Pitt, Booklist

"A valuable introduction to Orwell for readers new to his writings." -- Thomas Karel, Library Journal

"A sharp and very lively examination of [George Orwell]." -- Aspects of History

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Pub date: 2026-04-21

Length: 208 pages