{"title":"D.J. Taylor","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"on-nineteen-eighty-four-by-dj-taylor-9781419738005","title":"On Nineteen Eighty-Four","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the author of the definitive biography of George Orwell, a captivating account of the origin and enduring power of his landmark dystopian novel. Since its publication nearly 70 years ago, George Orwell's \u003cem\u003e1984\u003c\/em\u003e has been regarded as one of the most influential novels of the modern age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePoliticians have testified to its influence on their intellectual identities, rock musicians have made records about it, TV viewers watch a reality show named for it, and a White House spokesperson tells of \"alternative facts.\" The world we live in is often described as an Orwellian one, awash in inescapable surveillance and invasions of privacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOn Nineteen Eighty-Four\u003c\/em\u003e dives deep into Orwell's life to chart his earlier writings and key moments in his youth, such as his years at a boarding school, whose strict and charismatic headmaster shaped the idea of Big Brother. Taylor tells the story of the writing of the book, taking readers to the Scottish island of Jura, where Orwell, newly famous thanks to \u003cem\u003eAnimal Farm\u003c\/em\u003e but coping with personal tragedy and rapidly declining health, struggled to finish \u003cem\u003e1984\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePublished during the cold war—a term Orwell coined—Taylor elucidates the environmental influences on the book. Then he examines \u003cem\u003e1984\u003c\/em\u003e's post-publication life, including its role as a tool to understand our language, politics, and government. In a current climate where truth, surveillance, censorship, and critical thinking are contentious, Orwell's work is necessary.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten with resonant and reflective analysis, \u003cem\u003eOn Nineteen Eighty-Four\u003c\/em\u003e is both brilliant and remarkably timely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47487439372524,"sku":"9781419738005","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/b7b1d1a3249522d952bbd0ae3b4d02d4.jpg?v=1775777156"},{"product_id":"the-king-under-the-mountain-by-dj-taylor-9781408721810","title":"The King Under the Mountain","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRather than a mammoth life and times, \u003cem\u003eIn Search of Tolkien\u003c\/em\u003e gives what this literary giant's legacy needs: a shorter, more provocative and more suggestive account of his life and work which explores hidden corners and previously unseen trails. Obliquely executed and determined to bring us back to the books that are deeply loved and respected across the globe, it heads towards the heart of a writer who has managed to acquire an extraordinary international reputation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIndeed, Tolkien's many admirers have never been allowed to find out very much about him—that is, until now.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47734535487724,"sku":"9781408721810","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781408721810-the-king-under-the-mountain.jpg?v=1781222684"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/d-j-taylor-1.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}