This is John Batchel, continuing my conversation with Peter Stansky, Professor Peter

Stansky, the biographer of George Orwell, George Orwell, the Socialist.

Here the professor makes the point how 1984 was received in Britain and in America, in Britain, George Orwell, Eric Blair,

was eager to say, I'm a member of the Labor Party,

but in America he had to adjust.

Here's Peter Stansky to explain the distinction made

between Soviet communism, Russia, and socialism in the 1940s.

More of this later tonight.

But he also recognized leadership.

I mean, he had doubts about Churchill.

He wanted Stafford Cripps, who was more to the left, to have more power. But Crips himself was,

you know, very grand, Beatrice Webb's nephew, a wealthy man in his own right. I think he, well, it's

interesting. I mean, I don't think he really believed in the destruction of the British class system.

But he certainly believed that the upper classes should be less powerful and the working classes should be more powerful.

And the welfare state, which he approved of.

You know, when 1984 was published,

he had to issue denials. He said, I'm a firm supporter, though he wasn't a member, I'm a

firm supporter of the Labour Party, and I'm a firm supporter of socialism, because particularly

in America, 1984 was taken as a very anti-socialist book.

It's anti-communist. It's anti-Russia, but it's definitely not anti-socialist.