For the American author and writer, see George Orson Welles. Eric Arthur Blair (25 June, 1903 ? 21 January 1950), known by the pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist. Noted as a novelist and critic as well as a political and cultural commentator, Orwell is among the most widely admired English-language essayists of the 20th century. He is best known for two novels critical of totalitarianism in general, and Stalinism in particular: Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. Both were written and published towards the end of his life. Biography Early life Eric Arthur Blair was born on 25 June 1903 to British parentsMichael O'Connor (2003). [LINK: http://contemporarylit.about.com/cs/currentreviews/a/georgeorwell.htm] Review of Gordon Bowker's "Inside George Orwell". in Motihari, Bengal Presidency,