25 BAUMAN RARE BOOKS “All Animals Are Equal, But Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others” First edition of Orwell’s “savagely ironical allegory” (Clute & Grant) on the gap between radical ideals and reality, his most famous and widely read work. “A political fable that partly recounts, in an allegorical mode, the aftermath of the Russian revolution, and partly illustrates a belief in the universal tendency of power to corrupt” (Stringer, 22). “Animal Farm, which owes something to Swift and Defoe, is [Orwell’s] masterpiece” (Connolly 93). Because of wartime paper shortages, the first printing of this book was only 4500 copies and the dust jacket was usually printed on the reverse of Searchlight Books jackets (as here in blue). Book about-fine with slight toning to spine ends, dust jacket bright and near-fine with a bit of wear to spine extremities, affecting first letter of title, one short closed tear to rear panel. An exceptionally handsome copy. “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals.” 26ORWELL, George. Animal Farm: A Fairy Story. London, 1945. Slim octavo, original green cloth, dust jacket. $22,000
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