George Orwell's diaries, published in Russian for the first time, reveal the unknown, hidden story of the ordinary life of an extraordinary man. The eleven surviving diaries, written between 1931 and 1939, describe his youthful wanderings among miners and itinerant workers, the rise of totalitarianism, and the terrible drama of World War II. He recorded everything—his thoughts, poem drafts, weather observations, newspaper clippings with recipes and gardening tips. These daily entries preserve the priceless 'seeds' of events and reflections that later grew into his literary masterpieces. They also reflect tragic moments in his personal life, such as the death of his first wife and his own fading away in a painful battle with tuberculosis. Stylistically impeccable, Orwell's diaries absorb the full scope of his life and thought over many years, serving as an attempt at an autobiography he would never write.