George Orwell bibliography the Spanish Civil War in "Homage to Catalonia". Between 1941 and 1946 he also wrote fifteen "London Letters" for the American political and literary quarterly "Partisan Review", the first of which appeared in the issue dated March–April 1941. Only two compilations of Orwell's body of work were published in his lifetime, but since his death over a dozen collected editions have appeared. Two attempts have been made at comprehensive collections: "Complete Essays, Journalism and Letters" in four volumes (1968–70), co-edited by Ian Angus and Orwell's widow Sonia Brownell; and "The Complete Works of George Orwell", in 20 volumes, edited by
George Orwell until he had seen the situation "in situ", Orwell instead used his Independent Labour Party contacts to get a letter of introduction to John McNair in Barcelona. Orwell set out for Spain on about 23 December 1936, dining with Henry Miller in Paris on the way. The American writer told Orwell that going to fight in the Civil War out of some sense of obligation or guilt was "sheer stupidity" and that the Englishman's ideas "about combating Fascism, defending democracy, etc., etc., were all baloney." A few days later in Barcelona, Orwell met John McNair of the Independent Labour Party