THE ROAD TO WIGAN PIER

First edition, first printing. Left Book Club issue. Publisher's original orange limp cloth with titles in black to the upper cover and spine. Illustrated with 31 photographs in black and white. A very good copy, the binding firm with some creasing and minor fraying to the corners and tips of the slightly rolled spine. The cloth is a touch faded to the spine and with a few light marks. The contents, with a few light spots to the endpapers and closed text block edge, are otherwise clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps.

Orwell's classic study of poverty in the industrial north of England, the first part social reportage, the second part socialist polemic in which he condemns British socialist intellectuals and their adherence to the Soviet Union. Published in March 1937, whilst Orwell was in Spain, the publisher Victor Gollancz, against his absent author's wishes inserted his own preface taking issue with many of Orwell's claims. The preface was removed in later editions. 44,150 copies printed. (Fenwick A5a).