Down and Out in Paris and London was George Orwells first published book. It is at once a very personal account, and a vivid exposé of hard lives weighed down by poverty in France and England between the wars. Part of the Macmillan Collectors Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is introduced by writer Lara Feigel. Towards the end of the 1920s, whilst living in Paris, George Orwells few remaining funds are stolen and he quickly falls into a life of severe poverty. Living hand to mouth, he shares squalid lodgings with Russian-born Boris and finds tedious and back-breaking work washing up in the bowels of Paris restaurant kitchens. On his return to England, he lives as a tramp, finding occasional shelter in often dangerous doss houses.