ress, the United Nations, the GreatnSociety, Saul AUnsky, and the NationalnUrban Coalition. But he concludes hisnbook on a pessimistic note, “The lastnfew years have not been encouraging fornpeople of my views. … In the perspectivenof history, today’s disillusionmentsnmay well appear as a necessaryncorrective to the naive hopes and overblownnplans of our old optimism.” Annexamination of these “naive hopes andnoverblown plans” would have addednspice to these rather thin and disappointingnreminiscences by a man whonwas present at some of the most importantnand exciting economic and diplomaticnevents of the past 30 years. ccnEdward S. Shapiro is professor ofnhistory at Seton Hall University.nInside Jokesnby Arthur M. EcksteinnOrwell: The Lost Writings; Edited bynW.J. West; Arbor House; New York;n$20.00.nFrom August 1941 until Novembern1943, George Orwell served as the producernand writer of a radio talk shownbeamed by the BBC out to India. Physicallynunfit for army duty, he considerednthe job to be his way of “doing his bit”nin the war against Hitler. The image ofnOrwell as a chief of propaganda isnironic—and was ironic to Orwell himselfnHe stood the job as long as hencould, but eventually resigned, takingnup instead a much more congenialnposition as literary editor for the independentnleft-wing magazine Tribune.nFor some 40 years, the work Orwell didnat the BBC was lost in the disreputablynhaphazard BBC archives (pricelessnvoice-recordings of Orwell at work werenalso destroyed by the BBC bureaucracynduring the 1950’s, as part of an economynmeasure). But last year WilliamnWest, an amateur Orwellian, accomplishednwhat no professional Orwellnscholar has been able to do; rediscovernthe BBC scripts. Much of it had beennfiled, for some reason, under the namenof one of the Indian ladies responsiblenfor reading over the air some of thenscripts Orwell wrote.nWest has now published in Americanthe first batch of the recovered materialnunder the pretentious title The LostnWritings. But Orwell had explicitly discountednthe value of much of what henwrote at the BBC, and frankly, this firstnselection (consisting of radio-essays onngeneral political and literary topics) isndisappointing. Some of the new materialnis simplistic (not false) propagandanaimed at the Indian audience. Worse,nWest has chosen to include many of thenmemos Orwell wrote in the course ofnthe tedious and complex business ofnsetting up topics for broadcast, and thenfixing of the various physical arrangementsnnecessary for the broadcastsnthemselves. It is disconcerting to learnnthat Orwell the bureaucrat reads likenany other bureaucrat. There are, ofncourse, some small jewels in all thisndross: a fine essay on Bernard Shaw, annFaculty, students, administrators, business and governmental leadersnare cordially Invited to become members of thenCENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE PRESIDENCY,na non-profit educational corporation charterednby the Board of Regents of the State of New York.nJOIN CEmm FOR THEnSlUDY OnilE PRESIOmGYnThe first national public policy research center with itsnprimary focus on the American Presidency. With historicalnand analytical perspective, the Center examines bothndomestic and foreign policy, decision-making, relationshipsnwith the Congress, and organization.nMembership includes: Invitations to Annual LeadershipnConference, National Student Symposium, and LincolnnCenter Lecture Series, Regional Conferences, and the followingnpublications:nPresidentioi Studies Quorteriy.nDistinguished board of editors includingnHarry A. Bailey, Jr., Thomas E. Cronin, KennethnE. Davison, Hedley W. Donovan, Fred I.nGreenstein, Erwin C. Hargrove, Dorothy B.nJames, Richard S. Kirkendall, Louis W. Koenig,nSeymour Martin Lipset, Harvey C. Mansfield,nRuth P. Morgan, Richard E. Neustadt, C.nDwight Waldo, and Aaron Wildavsky.nCenter House BuiietinnProceedings Voiumes.nNamenMailing AddressnZip.nThis is on application for membership. Upon receipt of this form, thencenter will moil you a membership cord and begin a year’snmemioership. Membership is tax deductible in whatever categorynyou elect. Add $5 for foreign postage.nD Student $20 D Faculty $25 D Contributing $30nD Supporting $50 D Friend $100nPlease send with remittance to:nMembership SecretarynCENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE PRESIDENCYn208 East 75th Street, New York, NY 10021nnnAPRIL 1986/41n