First published in 1934, and a bitter souvenir of Orwell's time as a servant of the British Raj, Burmese Days follows the slow decline of John Flory, as he tries to steer a path between the bores of the Kyauktada club, the machinations of the native magistrate U Po Kyin and his love for a visiting English girl, with tragic results.

This new edition includes an introduction, extensive endnotes and an appendix containing original responses to the novel as well as letters and documents from the period in which it was written.