The Duty to Stand Aside tells the story of one of the most intriguing yet little-known literary-political feuds - and friendships - in 20th-century English literature. It examines the arguments that divided George Orwell and Alex Comfort during WWII. Laursen’s book takes a fresh look at the Orwell-Comfort quarrel and the lessons it holds for our very different world - in which war has been replaced by undeclared ‘conflicts,’ civilian bombing is even more enthusiastically practiced, and moral choices between two sides are rarely straightforward.