Hitchens style is so dazzling it is easy to forget that it is
rooted in a solid belief in secularism, feminism, and reason. These
are the core principles of the Left and we have no choice but to
defend them. As they are assaulted by psychopathic Islamistsabroad
and betrayed by empty headed phonies at home, it is good to know
that Hitchens is on our side. --Nick Cohen, columnist, The Observer
Cottee and Cushman have produced not only a priceless collection of
Christopher Hitchens's key writings over the past few years; they
have also documented wonderfully the most essential characteristics
of the post-9/11 Anglo-American left. Christopher Hitchens and His
Critics is must reading for anybody interested in the big topics
befalling our lives. --Andrei S. Markovits, University of Michigan
Christopher Hitchens--political journalist, cultural critic, public
intellectual and self-described contrarian--is one of the most
controversial and prolific writers of his generation. His most
recent book, God is Not Great, was on the New York Times bestseller
list in 2007 for months. Like his hero, George Orwell, Hitchens is
a tireless opponent of all forms of cruelty, ideological dogma,
religious superstition and intellectual foible. Once a socialist,
he now refers to himself as an unaffiliated radical. As a thinker,
Hitchens is perhaps best viewed as post-ideological, in that his
intellectual sources and solidarities are strikingly various (he is
an admirer of both Leon Trotsky and Kingsley Amis) and cannot be
located easily at any one point on the ideological spectrum. Since
leaving Britain for the United States in 1981, Hitchenss thinking
has moved in what some see ascontradictory directions, but he
remains an unapologetic and passionate defender of the
Enlightenment values of secularism, democracy, free expression, and
scientific inquiry. The global turmoil of the recent past has
provoked intense dispute and division among intellectuals,
academics, and other commentators. Hitchenss writing during this
time, particularly after 9/11, is an essential reference point for
understanding the genesis and meaning of that turmoil--and the
challenges that accompany it. This volume brings together Hitchenss
most incisive reflections on the war on terror, the war in Iraq,
and the state of the contemporary Left. It also includes a
selection of critical commentaries on his work from his former
leftist comrades, a set of exchanges between Hitchens and various
left-leaning interlocutors (such as Noam Chomsky, Studs Terkel, and
Katha Pollitt), and an introductory essay by the editors on the
nature and significance of Hitchenss contribution to the world of
ideas and public debate. In response, Hitchens provides an original
afterword, written for this collection. Whatever readers might
think about Hitchens, he remains an intellectual force to be
reckoned with. And there is no better place to encounter his
current thinking than in this provocative volume.
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