Hitch 22: A Memoir
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- Author：Christopher Hitchens
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Summary
#1 "New York Times" bestselling author and finalist for the National Book Award -- one of the most admired and controversial public intellectuals of our time -- shares his personal life story。
Most who have observed Christopher Hitchens over the years would agree that he possesses a ferocious intellect and is unafraid to tackle the most contentious subjects。 Now 60， English-born and American by adoption; all atheist and partly Jewish; bohemian （even listing "drinking" along with "disputation" as "hobbies" in "Who's Who"）， he has held to a consistent thread of principle whether opposing war in Vietnam or supporting intervention in Iraq。 As a foreign correspondent in some of the world's nastiest places， a lecturer and teacher and an esteemed literary critic， Hitchens manifests a style that is at once ironic， witty， and tough-minded。 A legendary bon vivant with an unquenchable thirst for literature， he has sometimes ridiculed those who claim that the personal is political， though he has often seemed to illustrate that very idea。 Readers will find that his own many opposites attract， as do his many sketches of friendship and ex-friendship， from Martin Amis to Noam Chomsky。 Condemned to be able to see both sides of any argument， Christopher Hitchens has contradictions that contain their own multitudes。 "From the Hardcover edition。"
Most who have observed Christopher Hitchens over the years would agree that he possesses a ferocious intellect and is unafraid to tackle the most contentious subjects。 Now 60， English-born and American by adoption; all atheist and partly Jewish; bohemian （even listing "drinking" along with "disputation" as "hobbies" in "Who's Who"）， he has held to a consistent thread of principle whether opposing war in Vietnam or supporting intervention in Iraq。 As a foreign correspondent in some of the world's nastiest places， a lecturer and teacher and an esteemed literary critic， Hitchens manifests a style that is at once ironic， witty， and tough-minded。 A legendary bon vivant with an unquenchable thirst for literature， he has sometimes ridiculed those who claim that the personal is political， though he has often seemed to illustrate that very idea。 Readers will find that his own many opposites attract， as do his many sketches of friendship and ex-friendship， from Martin Amis to Noam Chomsky。 Condemned to be able to see both sides of any argument， Christopher Hitchens has contradictions that contain their own multitudes。 "From the Hardcover edition。"
Reviews
Bert Bailey
，
I guess "controversial" is the usual， very tired word most employ to describe Christopher Hitchens--who is widely disliked for finding fault in revered characters such as the Clintons， "Mother" Teresa， Kissinger， the rev。 Bill Graham， God， etc。 Hitchens is a verbal pugilist， and a very successful one: a Muhammad Ali at the art， no doubt since he perfected his skills in the halls and cloisters of Oxford University。This matters in that the rigour required by such exposure includes becoming familia I guess "controversial" is the usual， very tired word most employ to describe Christopher Hitchens--who is widely disliked for finding fault in revered characters such as the Clintons， "Mother" Teresa， Kissinger， the rev。 Bill Graham， God， etc。 Hitchens is a verbal pugilist， and a very successful one: a Muhammad Ali at the art， no doubt since he perfected his skills in the halls and cloisters of Oxford University。This matters in that the rigour required by such exposure includes becoming familiar with an opponent's likely counter-arguments， so as to be prepared with rebuttals。 Many online videos show him debating heavyweight thinkers and theologians， usually to devastating result for them。 Those disputes justify Hitchens' fame for a sharp wit， an often acerbic approach， and his extensive vocabulary。 A prodigious memory helped him to draw on his vast learning。 Some find that erudition irritating and pretentious， although to the contrary， I feel it had more to do with modesty。 In my view， he seemed hardly able to express a thought or marshall some argument without recollecting some ancient or modern source who'd anticipated it， or a poem that in some way expressed it best。 A reporter， columnist， lecturer and writer by trade， to me he was one of our era's sharpest critical thinkers--in the iconoclastic tradition of Gore Vidal， perhaps Noam Chomsky or， previously， even George Orwell。 This book provides a sort of overview of his life， thought， and doings--and it's an eminently worthwhile read。 He travelled almost everywhere that there was dissent， conflict and/or war。 Among the subjects covered here are his defense of Salman Rushdie during the Iranian Ayatollah's fatwa; his support of the Second Iraqi invasion; and less grand but as interesting events--such as his discovery， after his mother's suicide， that she was a Jew; word games he'd play with pals Rushdie and Martin Amis; a visit to Jorge Luis Borges in Buenos Aires; and his deep love of the United States， mostly for the first-ever secular foundation provided to it by two Enlightenment figures， Jefferson and Adams。 While his career began as a marxist debater in England， as it came to its end he defended the US's controversial Second Iraqi War and responded to the accusation that he cozied up to the neocons who pressed for it （he even defends his friend， the much-detested Straussian Paul Wolfowitz）。 Yet Hitchens came to this conservative stand， and his skepticism about US liberals， through exposure to Bill Clinton， about whom he wrote a book on his corruption。 He also considered that the First Iraqi War was left damagingly incomplete by leaving a dangerous Saddam Hussein in power。Among other incidents and ideas discussed， Hitchens， a famed atheist， provides a tantalizing account of why he's not a nihilist。 There's sufficient meaning in life， he says， to reject that bleak outlook as， "A life that partakes even a little of friendship， love， irony， humor， parenthood， literature and music， and the chance to take part in battles for the liberation of others， cannot be called 'meaningless' except if the person living it is also an existentialist and elects to call it so。" In the light of these， he adds， it is， "。。。not in fact possible to live one's everyday life as if 。。。all existence is a pointless joke。" （p。 331）Besides supporting his unusual verbal and writing skills， Hitchens' prodigious memory gave him access to a vast store of poetry。 In addition to the mentioned subjects， this book is well worth reading for some well-chosen poetry he quotes， such as this fragment from Rosetti: What man has bent o'er his son's sleep， to brood How that face shall watch his when cold it lies？ Or thought， as his own mother kissed his eyes， Of what her kiss was when his father wooed？Equally weighty， even perhaps revelatory， is Wilfred Owen's 'Dulce et Decorum Est。' If you've ever merely glanced with interest at the First World War poets， this is definitely one with which to go beyond。 Hitchens declaimed it from memory when asked， seemingly without warning， in a discussion （at Emory University） that is also posted online。 One regret about this book， and about Hitchens （to the best of my knowledge）， is his reticence regarding the Palestinian issue。 He's often critical of Israel's encroaching aggrandizement but only in snippets， never in a sustained manner。 Surely this mother of all world issues deserved the fine tooth-comb of some closer analysis。 This book will likely appeal to those who admire sharp rational discourse and an unusual degree of intellectual articulacy。 It may prompt you， as it did me， to seek more in his library of writings and online videos， and to spend more time exploring the phenomenon that was Christopher Hitchens。 。。。more
Britney Bartz
，
An interesting highlight of his life。 I enjoyed his deep dive of his parents in the first few chapters。 It would have been interesting if he did the same with his brother especially since the book was written after their debate。 When I reread it， I'll be reading his essays along side it to gain more understanding。Good book， wish it wasn't his last proper book。 He is missed。 An interesting highlight of his life。 I enjoyed his deep dive of his parents in the first few chapters。 It would have been interesting if he did the same with his brother especially since the book was written after their debate。 When I reread it， I'll be reading his essays along side it to gain more understanding。Good book， wish it wasn't his last proper book。 He is missed。 。。。more
（TraParentesi）
，
Se leggere， con Eco， è vivere molte vite oltre la tua， con questo libro diventerai il miglior amico di Martin Amis， inventerai calambour con Salman Rushdie， sarai accusato di aver partecipato a un complotto neo-con per far deflagrare la destituzione di Saddam， camminerai nella Sarajevo assediata sotto il fuoco dei cecchini。（E， a un party， sarai sculacciato dalla Thatcher con un giornale）。
Nadine
，
I expected a memoir， but what I got was a history of politics and world events that happened to occur during the authors lifetime。 A lot of name-dropping， a lot of finding similarities between himself and Oscar Wilde and George Orwell， and exeedingly little about his personal life or emotion behind his choices。It's only redeeming quality is that it's an interesting perspective on the end of the 20th century and some very nice turns of phrase。I don't dislike Christopher Hitchens and I am interest I expected a memoir， but what I got was a history of politics and world events that happened to occur during the authors lifetime。 A lot of name-dropping， a lot of finding similarities between himself and Oscar Wilde and George Orwell， and exeedingly little about his personal life or emotion behind his choices。It's only redeeming quality is that it's an interesting perspective on the end of the 20th century and some very nice turns of phrase。I don't dislike Christopher Hitchens and I am interested in his ideas， but I guess I should've read his essays instead。 。。。more
Ray
，
Lefty journo slowly modifies his views as he realises that the world is not black and white。This left me a little cold， though I share a similar world view to Mr H。It was interesting to read about the many worthy causes that CH became involved with， and part of me was cheering him on as he battled against imposing odds。 But I couldn't get the Ben Elton character （Kendal Mintcake） from the Young Ones University Challenge episode out of my head。 https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=Wi5SJ。。。Hitchens led Lefty journo slowly modifies his views as he realises that the world is not black and white。This left me a little cold， though I share a similar world view to Mr H。It was interesting to read about the many worthy causes that CH became involved with， and part of me was cheering him on as he battled against imposing odds。 But I couldn't get the Ben Elton character （Kendal Mintcake） from the Young Ones University Challenge episode out of my head。 https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=Wi5SJ。。。Hitchens led a privileged life， and knew some very important people， it grated somehow that he could be on a picket line with the oiks during the day and at a rarified dinner with the great and the good in the evening。 。。。more
Colin
，
I put off reading this for ages but I think it's my fabourite Hitchens book so far （out of 8， I think， or 11 if you include the Peter Hitchenses）。 It roams all over the place， covering the whole of his career as well as earlier life， and giving a really clear insight into the events， relationships and arguments that have shaped his world view。 It's very clear what that worldview is like， in the later years of his life: a burning belief in freedo and justice， at first manifesting itself in left w I put off reading this for ages but I think it's my fabourite Hitchens book so far （out of 8， I think， or 11 if you include the Peter Hitchenses）。 It roams all over the place， covering the whole of his career as well as earlier life， and giving a really clear insight into the events， relationships and arguments that have shaped his world view。 It's very clear what that worldview is like， in the later years of his life: a burning belief in freedo and justice， at first manifesting itself in left wing activism but later becoming more nuanced and willing to work with ideological opponents for strategic objectives。 He detests simplification and singles out identity politics as a good example of that。 Above all， it's funny and engaging and how many political memoirs can you say that about？ 。。。more
Lou
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Drenched
Angela Lewis
，
Candid， original， a privilege to read。 His informed， first had accounts are eye opening， humorous and genuine。 The language eloquent。
Pat
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A telling memoir by an erudite political and literary raconteur。 Many depths to his life are explored but others that were controversial， and involved the betrayal of a close friend， are left unsaid。 Learned about the divisions within socialism of Stalinism vs Trotskyism， which inspire me to further reading。 Ends on the idea that Communism is another form of Fascism， which of course goes back to Animal Farm by George Orwell， one of Hitchens’ literary and political heroes。
Rayme Michaels
，
Such a thoughtful， eloquent， introspective look at an utterly fascinating， erudite and thrilling journalistic life！ I am so grateful that Hitchens left his incredible memoirs for us before passing on。
Ricardo
，
I just finished the audio version of this book and I find it to be absolutely enjoyable to hear the author read it in his own voice。 He also uses impersonations and inflections during the reading which adds to the comedic effect。 This book is certainly worth a second read。 I particularly like his talking about how he used word games which no doubt contributed to his masterful command of the English language。 There are so many amazing stories in this book of his life ranging from his parents and I just finished the audio version of this book and I find it to be absolutely enjoyable to hear the author read it in his own voice。 He also uses impersonations and inflections during the reading which adds to the comedic effect。 This book is certainly worth a second read。 I particularly like his talking about how he used word games which no doubt contributed to his masterful command of the English language。 There are so many amazing stories in this book of his life ranging from his parents and their lives and discussions about Christopher's involvement in politics and protests。 One thing that always stood out to me with Christopher Hitchens is his ability to place in the Forefront critical social issues giving voice to groups of people who are repressed and suppressed and otherwise don't have a voice within the public sphere。 Hitchens always has a knack for bringing to light the injustice of inequality。 Even though in public Christopher espoused atheism I believe that deep down he was actually a Christian。 I find evidence in this book and other Publications for this。 At the very least Christians would do well to consider Christopher Hitchens arguments and possibly build their own faith as a result。 。。。more
Bejoy Machumpurath
，
I listened to Hitch 22， favoured with late author's own scintillating narration， with a sense of wonder。 Having been a shameless fanboy insofar as binging youtube compilations of his sharp witticisms and sharper arguments， I had no warning of the complexity of what I had picked up in this weighty memoir。 Of course it must deal with Christopher's personal memories - recollected， reordered， and perhaps even reinterpreted？ But the memories involve such illustrious characters， and are pinioned to ev I listened to Hitch 22， favoured with late author's own scintillating narration， with a sense of wonder。 Having been a shameless fanboy insofar as binging youtube compilations of his sharp witticisms and sharper arguments， I had no warning of the complexity of what I had picked up in this weighty memoir。 Of course it must deal with Christopher's personal memories - recollected， reordered， and perhaps even reinterpreted？ But the memories involve such illustrious characters， and are pinioned to events so broad， that one feels not the recounting of a life， but the evolution of ideas played out on the world stage。 I delighted in his prose and delivery， I learnt much about which I should know more， but perhaps most of all， I had another chance to mourn the loss of this great man。 。。。more
Darryl Shrock
，
Couldn't make it thru。。。 and I like Hitchens。 just not that interesting Couldn't make it thru。。。 and I like Hitchens。 just not that interesting 。。。more
Michael Bryson
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Did I finish this two years ago？ It seems at least that。 Haven't been on my Goodreads in a while。 LOL Did I finish this two years ago？ It seems at least that。 Haven't been on my Goodreads in a while。 LOL 。。。more
Gordon
，
Hobbled by pretense， and the mutual masturbation of his circle， Hitchens shines when one of his positions begin to shatter and the man embraces the change。What's telling is the severity of circumstance required to damage his system of thought。 His thinking requires a punch in the face to shift， but it is respectable that he embraces the insight from the violent moment。 It is these insights and metamorphoses where Hitchens is interesting。 The rest is pure， if verbose， inertia。Also， the word "lugu Hobbled by pretense， and the mutual masturbation of his circle， Hitchens shines when one of his positions begin to shatter and the man embraces the change。What's telling is the severity of circumstance required to damage his system of thought。 His thinking requires a punch in the face to shift， but it is respectable that he embraces the insight from the violent moment。 It is these insights and metamorphoses where Hitchens is interesting。 The rest is pure， if verbose， inertia。Also， the word "lugubrious" is a red flag。 Publicly flashing one's inner thesaurus should be a punishable offense。 。。。more
Michael
，
A romp。 Over too soon。
Dylan Brintwood
，
Most of this book is less lively and less entertaining than Hitchen's social criticism such as "God is Not Great。 。 。" and "The Missionary Position。" Hitchens writes about himself with less precision， excitement， and cruelty than he does those whom he despises。 "Mesopotamia from Both Sides" and "Something of Myself" are exceptions and examples of truly great memoir-writing。 Some of the reflections， such as Hitchen's essay on the brilliant but hypocritical Edward Said， are also excellent。 Most of this book is less lively and less entertaining than Hitchen's social criticism such as "God is Not Great。 。 。" and "The Missionary Position。" Hitchens writes about himself with less precision， excitement， and cruelty than he does those whom he despises。 "Mesopotamia from Both Sides" and "Something of Myself" are exceptions and examples of truly great memoir-writing。 Some of the reflections， such as Hitchen's essay on the brilliant but hypocritical Edward Said， are also excellent。 。。。more
Howard Cincotta
，
The voice of Christopher Hitchens was unmistakable and ubiquitous， both in a ceaseless stream of essays and commentaries and in tireless public speeches and debates。 He was a true public intellectual who seemed to have known everyone and read everything， at least in English。 Hitchens didn't so much attract controversy as embrace it， especially in his unrelenting attacks on religion in both Christian and Islamic varieties。 Hitchens also relished his personal feuds; he didn't just write diatribes The voice of Christopher Hitchens was unmistakable and ubiquitous， both in a ceaseless stream of essays and commentaries and in tireless public speeches and debates。 He was a true public intellectual who seemed to have known everyone and read everything， at least in English。 Hitchens didn't so much attract controversy as embrace it， especially in his unrelenting attacks on religion in both Christian and Islamic varieties。 Hitchens also relished his personal feuds; he didn't just write diatribes against the Clintons and Henry Kissinger， but entire books。 （Although I must say that the public debates with religious leaders upset with his atheism became a bit like shooting fish in a barrel。 Pro tip: don't try to "prove" the truth of your religion to a militant atheist who has honed his arguments for decades。）Above all， Hitchens was a writer of great fluency and eloquence， someone who could take on nonfiction in every guise and length except， he confessed， sports reporting。 He notes， in defense of his drinking habits， for example， that he normally wrote a thousand publishable words a day and never missed a deadline。Hitch 22 is many ways the story of the mind behind that writing life and its evolution from hard-left Trotskyism to center-right conservative。 The catalyst for this shift was both gradual and， with the war on terrorism， sudden。What's remarkable， however， is the consistency of Hitchens's foundational views。 Throughout his career， he never wavered in his defense of human rights and freedom of speech， with absolute condemnation of governmental oppression， whether the Stalinist Soviet Union or the right-wing military thugs of the Argentine junta。 If his erudite incisive language remained a constant， his chameleon politics did result in hits and misses。 Hitchens was at his finest in the Rushdie affair over The Satanic Verses， when he called for an uncompromising condemnation of Iran's fatwa — and eviscerated writers and intellectuals who waffled in their defense of core Western values。 His commitment to anti-authoritarianism， however， led him astray in the case of Iraq， where he uncharacteristically became soft-headed in his unwarranted hopes for a democratic transformation that never really materialized。 （It's easy to imagine the demolition job an alternate Hitchens could have done to the beleaguered defender of the American invasion。） To his credit， however， Hitchens's reportage on the horrors of Saddam's rule — the use of chemical weapons and the brutalization of the Shiites — was accurate and based on detailed reporting。 Iraq also proved to be the breaking point when Hitchens rejected the left for good。 Moreover， his elegy for an American soldier who was inspired in part by Hitchens's writing remains a powerful personal testimony。Many of the enjoyable parts of the book are the early years， notably his time at public school and Oxford。 Hitchens is frank and amusing about his two personas in those times。 One was the militant radical who demonstrated， marched， and leafleted for all the great causes of the '60s: Vietnam， nuclear disarmament， and the alleged oppression of liberal institutions like Oxford University itself。 The other was the louche pretty boy who partied， drank， and exchanged bon mots with everyone， including conservatives and reactionary Tories。 Later on， he traveled to war zones around the world as a journalist， where he punctured the pomposities of dictators and democratic leaders alike， reveling in his role as contrarian。 After all， how can you not admire a writer who offered up a savage dissection of Mother Teresa during the campaign to make her a saint？ He became， Hitchens says proudly， a pro bono devil's advocate。 Hitch 22 also takes time to celebrate his friendships with many of the great literary figures of the era， including James Fenton， Martin Amis， and Salman Rushdie。Hitchens concludes his book with reference to his "Catch 22" title: "It's quite a task to combat the absolutists and the relativists at the same time: to maintain that there is no totalitarian solution while also insisting that， yes， we on our side also have unalterable convictions and are willing to fight for them…。 To be an unbeliever is not to be merely "open-minded。" It is， rather， decisive admission of uncertainty that is dialectically connected to the repudiation of the totalitarian principle， in the mind as well as in politics。"In other words， Hitchens had the time of his life。 。。。more
Sarah
，
This is a unique memoir， and what I can say of it is that the title 'Hitch-22' is especially accurate， as I found the narrative to be a continuous conundrum。 It seems to me that this is less of a memoir and more of a book of essays on various political topics; yet， I would still also classify it as a memoir since I did learn more about Hitchens， his experiences， and his general outlook on things。 I also believe that I am almost too young for this book， or that I simply don't know enough， because This is a unique memoir， and what I can say of it is that the title 'Hitch-22' is especially accurate， as I found the narrative to be a continuous conundrum。 It seems to me that this is less of a memoir and more of a book of essays on various political topics; yet， I would still also classify it as a memoir since I did learn more about Hitchens， his experiences， and his general outlook on things。 I also believe that I am almost too young for this book， or that I simply don't know enough， because many of the events and political ideologies went slightly over my head; this leads me to the conclusion that it wasn't very well-written， since there are many books I have read that touch upon similar topics that I do not have trouble following。 Nevertheless， Hitchens writes with expertise and with a thoughtfulness that also prevents me from saying that this is a poorly-written book。 Overall， I both liked and did not enjoy this book; perhaps I need to sit with it for a while in order to gather my thoughts more， but I do know with absolute certainty that the title is accurate and that it is very unique in its style。 。。。more
Ben Denison
，
I find Christopher Hitchens a fascinating character and loved listening to him on various shows （regular on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show）。 He was an intellectual and made interesting arguments on politics， culture， religion。 But it continues to break my heart he died a devout atheist。 This books adds a lot on early life， school years， and his years as a writer/intellectual。 Many interesting topics and interactions with others and hot areas/countries of political turmoil and war。 He was not scared to I find Christopher Hitchens a fascinating character and loved listening to him on various shows （regular on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show）。 He was an intellectual and made interesting arguments on politics， culture， religion。 But it continues to break my heart he died a devout atheist。 This books adds a lot on early life， school years， and his years as a writer/intellectual。 Many interesting topics and interactions with others and hot areas/countries of political turmoil and war。 He was not scared to go anywhere， help anyone， and spar with the best。 。。。more
Shelly Lott
，
I am a huge fan of Christopher Hitchens。 This book was very good。 More about the people he met in his life and their impact on him。 But if you are a fan this gives you a look into his life and thinking。 I miss him so much。 One of the best journalists of all time and a strong advocate for atheism and agnosticism。
Brian Karugira
，
Honestly and masterfully written
pablo felgueres
，
1。 'When the facts change， my opinion changes， and you sir？'Hitch's life is perhaps dully summarized as someone who had the moral and physical courage to pursue best ideas given the facts。 2。 'Defense of science and reason are the imperatives of our times。' Continual doubt and skepticism is what's to be recommended。3。 'Get on with it and behave as if you were immortal'This book is a reminder of the objectively shortness of life。 The conviction we ought have to pursue what's right， to be unwillin 1。 'When the facts change， my opinion changes， and you sir？'Hitch's life is perhaps dully summarized as someone who had the moral and physical courage to pursue best ideas given the facts。 2。 'Defense of science and reason are the imperatives of our times。' Continual doubt and skepticism is what's to be recommended。3。 'Get on with it and behave as if you were immortal'This book is a reminder of the objectively shortness of life。 The conviction we ought have to pursue what's right， to be unwilling to give ground to the threats posed at reason， a reminder that words matter， that camaraderie and a desire to live is what pushes to world forward。 Hitch is a bold character and an example of a well spent life。 。。。more
Tracey
，
I forced myself to get through this book。 It is clear that he was a brilliant man but the ego！ My lord， I frequently put it down because I found him insufferable。 I continued to read it since he was such an important man of letters but for me， his arrogance just ruined it。
Clemens
，
A memoir that sheds light on an extraordinary life。 Hitch， as he became known， has an incredible wit and curiosity， and guides the reader through several Important （among them， geopolitical） events and how they shaped his thinking （or his thinking tried to influence the actors）。 What is clear is that he stands up for his beliefs， and does not shy away to from intellectual debates （or more） with his opponents。 As a memoir should， Hitch delves into his relationship with a lot of different people， A memoir that sheds light on an extraordinary life。 Hitch， as he became known， has an incredible wit and curiosity， and guides the reader through several Important （among them， geopolitical） events and how they shaped his thinking （or his thinking tried to influence the actors）。 What is clear is that he stands up for his beliefs， and does not shy away to from intellectual debates （or more） with his opponents。 As a memoir should， Hitch delves into his relationship with a lot of different people， many of them well known。 I would have enjoyed the book even more had I had a better knowledge about the literary and journalistic circles he describes at lenght。 This reveals more my limited personal horizon and my view as outsider。 Still the personal anectodes alone are worth reading the book！ 。。。more
Greg
，
Some of it was admittedly over my head。 But I've never felt so inspired to be smarter than when I was reading this book。 Oh yeah， and it's funny。 Some of it was admittedly over my head。 But I've never felt so inspired to be smarter than when I was reading this book。 Oh yeah， and it's funny。 。。。more
David Readmont-Walker
，
We really need Hitch， perhaps more than ever - SH。
Daniel
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This is most certainly my most valuable read of 2020， unquestionably。 Whatsmore I had the pleasure of taking it in read by the man himself， an experience no-one should deny themselves。But where to begin， how to accurately convey the greatness of this work？ I can make some small attempt by throwing out adjectives: Honest， Brave， Pithy， Wise， Intelligent， Funny - really all I am doing is describing the man himself。Christopher Hitchens makes the shortlist， if not the top of the list， of those neede This is most certainly my most valuable read of 2020， unquestionably。 Whatsmore I had the pleasure of taking it in read by the man himself， an experience no-one should deny themselves。But where to begin， how to accurately convey the greatness of this work？ I can make some small attempt by throwing out adjectives: Honest， Brave， Pithy， Wise， Intelligent， Funny - really all I am doing is describing the man himself。Christopher Hitchens makes the shortlist， if not the top of the list， of those needed to fight today's battles who are no longer with us。 Nobody can match his skill for Oratory， his unfailing defense of the truth， of the pursuit of freedom。 His arguments are further reinforced by his unwavering determination to visit countries in the midst of their crises。 This is a man who has read all the arguments， has met all the people making these arguments， and has met all the people who made these arguments in revolutions and wars past。 He has been at the front line， and never shied away from it。 He has risked his life for journalism， and yet would never deign to play any of those cards。 He is too modest。 The more I write， of course the more it is apparent I appear only to be writing in tribute to the Hitch， but what must be made clear is that this is what comes across from his autobiography。 He is modest， self-efacing， and nowhere does he indulge his own ego。 His only conceit， if you can call it that， is how highly he speaks of great luminaries that he had the fortune to meet and even call a good many of them friends。 But it becomes quite apparent that one does not get invited to said circles by accident - no Christopher Hitchens deserved his place at any table。 It is as much by what is said as not said， that it becomes clear just how valued the Hitch was and is。I must try to add more substance to these praises here at the risk of sounding like a sycophant （though it may be too late for that） and attempt to better convey why I rate the book so highly。 Beyond my respect for the man， I was struck over and over and over how relevant it is to today's affairs。 Perhaps it captures a timelessness of human affairs， or worse how little we have moved on， but every major concern present in today's culture has parallel events and concerns in the book。 Nay， they are the same concerns。We know where Christopher would stand on today's political battlefield， because he has made his case already in concise， absolute， resolute terms。 He brooks no totalitarian regimes or ideoligies。 He abhors identitarian politics。 He is the counter revolutionary， willing to critique whomever it takes， no matter the personal cost to him or his alleigances。 The truth above all things。 And he can make these cases because he has been to witness all entrenchments of human suffering; Argentina， Chile， Cuba， Vietnam， Iraq， Iran， Israel， Beirut - he made a point of visiting a country less fortunate than his own every year。 Many times he narrowly avoided death or misfortune， and frequently did he face such things head on。And of course he critcised the establishments of history in all shapes and forms。 But I must stress that it was always where they deserved it - there was no sneering or low blows。 Most importantly he didn't care who said the right things， he would always award praise where it was deserved。One thing that did strike me in a way that perhaps not even Christopher could have anticipated; all the arguments he listed as why the USA struck him as superior place to live to the UK （in talking about civil liberties and freedom under the law） each one can now be refuted by recent examples。 Alas I don't have the ability to quote directly， but it was quite clear to me that the reasons that existed in the 70s are no longer there。 That is not comment made at any one political faction - it's a judgement of the country as a whole。 Christopher Hitchens would no doubt be one of its fiercest critics。But the greatest acheivement one can argue above all， is that he was able to change his mind。 He was able to pull away from the stream， based only on the strength of his convictions and experiences。 He had good sense in him， and pulled away at the right times。 It brought him much uneeded hostility and enemies， but then he would never have wanted those people for friends。 His support of the Iraq war of course remains the biggest example of one of those causes he could well have done without supporting， but he makes several compelling arguments which I will try to paraphrase and recall as best I can。1。 It was an unfinished job - already agreed as official USA policy in bipartisan congressional resolutions。 Gore and Clinton had already begun making rhetorical commitments in advance of the 2000 election。 Whatsmore， Sadam Hussein had more than broken any international law or treatise required for invasion。2。 He was sickened at the political cowardice and back scractching that kept Sadam in power after the last war。3。 He had witnessed firsthand the suffering that the Iraqi people and surrounding populations were undergoing。 The number of mass graves， prison camps， the siphoning of the national wealth - sheer fascit oppression。4。 He clearly saw undeniable evidence of not only weaponry， but the capability Sadam had for gaining WMDs （not to mention attempt to equip himself with a nuclear arsenal （using a North Korean Broker））。5。 Sadam Hussein was not a rational actor。 He had more than proved himself as a deranged despot， allied with the forces of Al Quaeda and the like， and was a danger to all。6。 And the most convincing of all was the goodwill and joy that the Iraqi people displayed towards American and British soldiers （we're talking before the war）。Hitchens makes pointed remarks at those of the million march who essentially campaigned to keep a modern Hitler in power， with no understanding of what the Hussein regime really meant for its people。And of course he was in no way above criticising the failings of the war， and the cost it exacted。 He spends a great deal of time reflecting on a remarkable young man， Mark Daily， who enlisted and died in Iraq， spurred on by the writings of Christopher Hitchens。 In the letters and memoirs survive， Daily is cogent， calm and a role model for all。 It is no idoletry that spurred him， but a fundemental love for the values that gave birth to Western civilisation， and the responsibility he felt it gave him。 Of course， regardless， the knowledge of this is a great burden for anyone to carry and I can't conceive of the psychic toll this could bring upon anyone， but Christopher Hitchens does what any loving， empathic human can do， and meets with Mark's family。 He does so regularly， and tries his best to learn about this young man who was so moved by his words。 I cannot do justice to either of these men in describing this to you - you must read it for yourself。But for all his political life， Christopher Hitchens was more than yet another a man captured by the wheels of politics。 His first love was Literature， and Hitch 22 is filled with references to great writers， quotations from all literary cannons （and I have no doubt he quoted them from memory） and full of affection and praise for his literary contemporaries （Martin Amis， Kingsley Amis， James Fenton， Salman Rushdie）。 At this late hour in the review， I once more cannot do justice to this side of his life， or of the glimpses he gives of his familial relations or upbringing， but know that there is as much wisdom to be found there as in his more radical exploits。In Hitch 22， Christopher Hitchens makes a gift of his experiences and learning for any reader。 Anyone who refuses to read them is more a fool for it - I implore you not to be one。 A must read for the ages， and a hero for all time。 Rest in Peace Hitch。 。。。more
Erin
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It's embarrassing how well-regarded this emotionally-stunted fool was。 He can drone on about his stupid word games but he barely mentions his wife and children？ What is the matter with this man？ It's embarrassing how well-regarded this emotionally-stunted fool was。 He can drone on about his stupid word games but he barely mentions his wife and children？ What is the matter with this man？ 。。。more
M。
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Brilliantly touching and with a high degree of integrity。 Not just an intellectual， Hitchens was personally involved in a good deal of 20th century events either as a socio-political commentator， journalist or witness。 This memoir is also not without personal stories， histories and accounts of friendships for you to empathise with and in turn， reflect on your own path on this mortal coil。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Hitch 22: A Memoir
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Hitch 22: A Memoir&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Hitch 22: A Memoir&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0