CHURCHILL & ORWELL: THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM: THOMAS RICK

A readable look at these 20th-century ikons, both of whom influence the way we live today.  We get glimpses of their early lives, then the peaks and valleys of their adult lives, with Churchill's rise to prominence before WW I, then disgrace and his eventual rise during WW II when he makes his reputation.  Orwell spent time as a policeman in India but was certainly not well suited for the job. He then fought and barely survived capture in the Spanish Civil War.  Finally, he lived among the poor and downtrodden for a year, which resulted in one of his first books.  Both are champions of the individual, of freedom and vehemently opposed any form of fascism, including communism practiced in the Soviet Union.  We end with Churchhill's fall after WW II, his silly attempt at a comeback in the early 1960's, in between writing his histories of WW II.  Orwell dies early of a lung disease and did live to see his most famous novel 1984 gain fame. His reputation only developed after his death.

Rick's reminds us these are “people we still think about, people who are important not just to understanding their times but also to understanding our own...that we don't need to love Big Brother."