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Arguably

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About this listen

Shortlisted for the 2012 Orwell Prize.

'As soon as we abandon our own reason', wrote Bertrand Russell, 'and are content to rely upon authority, there is no end to our troubles.'

For over 40 years, Christopher Hitchens has proclaimed truth where others have spun falsehood and written, with passionate commitment, on matters that others fear to broach. This volume of essays encompasses Hitchens's writing over the past decade on politics, literature and religion.

In Arguably, Hitchens explores a wide range of cultural and political issues, past and present. His fresh perceptions of figures as diverse as Charles Dickens, Karl Marx, Rebecca West and Philip Larkin are matched in brilliance by his acerbic discussions and intrepid observations, gathered over a lifetime of travelling and reporting from destinations such as Iran, China and Pakistan.

Hitchens's life has above all else been one of defiance and wit, courage and humility: in an age of digital punditry and 24-hour hucksterism, he has been a voice of reason amid the clamour, making an indelible mark on politics and literature on both sides of the Atlantic. Arguably is the indispensible companion to the Anglosphere's pre-eminent political writer.

©2011 Christopher Hitchens (P)2021 Orion Publishing Group Atheism Essays Literary History & Criticism Political Science Politics & Government Middle East Nonfiction Iran Imperialism Socialism Middle Ages
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Hitchens being Hitchens. The good thing about this is it's dozen of short chapters all on different topics. If one of them doesn't interest you you can simply skip to the next. God we need Hitchens in 2023! :-(

2 Dozen Hitchslaps

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Cuts to the quick. A master of the written word with an unerring moral compass.

Hitched!

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Richard Dawkins once said of Christopher Hitchens, that he was so well and so widely read as to have earned the 'slightly stuffy' title of learned. Love him or hate him, agree or disagree, Arguably is worth the time it takes, and whatever else the author can be accused of, 'stuffiness' is not in the list.
A book like this, which covers such a variety of topics, time periods, resources and personalities, not always favourably, is bound to ruffle feathers somewhere. However, that only makes its achievment of its ultimate goal more impressive. This is a collection of musings, reviews, illuminations and opinions from an author who doesnt ask that you admire or even agree with thier point of view. Spanning 28 hours, challangeing a reader to raise thier game and truly examine what they think they know.
This book asks only that you think for yourself.

Arguably controversial, objectivley masterful.

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As always, with Hitchens, his essays are concise, sharp, well researched and show his excellent vocabulary.
This and his other essays should be on the reading list of every secondary school. I struggled with essay writing until a long time after leaving school, Hitchens makes it look easy.

Excellent writing.

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