- Christopher Hitchens is one of the great conversationalists of our age and his wit, style and erudition are brilliantly deployed in this glittering autobiography. Hitch-22 sparkles with funny stories, treasurable quotations, witty apercus and deft descriptions.Sunday Times A pert yet elegantly written memoir.Sunday Telegraph.
- Near the end of his new book, “Hitch-22,” which is neither strictly a memoir nor quite a political essay but something in between, Christopher Hitchens informs the reader that he has, at long last, learned how to “think for oneself,” implying that he had failed to do so before reaching the riper side of middle age.
Hitch-22: A Memoir was, as can be assumed from the title, the memoirs of Christopher Hitchens. It was actually during the book tour for this very novel that Hitchens was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and had to cancel the remainder of his book tour in response to the diagnosis. The novel itself goes into some of Hitchens more personal stories and events throughout his life, spanning from his time at Oxford to events just before his death. A new foreword was placed into the novel in 2011 that was written by Hitchens to describe what his life had been like since receiving the cancer diagnosis. Many critics viewed the stories contained within to be particularly revelatory in nature about Hitchens and everything that went on around him. For instance, Hitchens writes that fellow Oxford student Bill Clinton's method of taking marijuana was by brownies and cookies, which is a direct counterargument against the fact that Clinton reported that he had never inhaled marijuana smoke because of his allergy of smoke.
He also writes a small amount about his sexual encounters with two men during his college years, of which, he states, both received positions in Margaret Thatcher's government as conservative MPs. In general, Hitchens found this to be one of the more difficult novels he was tasked with writing, saying 'I found it fantastically difficult. Normally, when I'm writing, I'm making an argument, making a case. Also, when I'm writing, I'm trying to see how much I can pack into 5,000 words about a subject. But here's a subject I know too much about.' It's interesting to know that, before editors looked at the book and cut it down to the size it was eventually published at with well over 400 pages, the book was actually around twice as long.
‘Hitch-22’ is his latest effort, an attempt to set down his intellectual journey and to uncover the times, events, and friendships that have shaped him into his present self. Hitchens spends almost no time writing of his marriages, his children, or of his brother, nor does he dwell on past loves. Christopher Hitchens reflects on his personal and public life in his memoir, Hitch-22. Hitchens was interviewed at the annual book publishing trade show, Book Expo America, held at the Jacob K.
2010-06-05T15:32:05-04:00https://images.c-span.org/Files/622/293849-m.jpgChristopher Hitchens reflects on his personal and public life in his memoir, Hitch-22. Mr. Hitchens was interviewed at the annual book publishing trade show, Book Expo America, held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.Christopher Hitchens reflects on his personal and public life in his memoir, Hitch-22. Mr. Hitchens was interviewed at the annual book publishing trade show, Book Expo America, held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.
Report Video IssueJavascript must be enabled in order to access C-SPAN videos.
*This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.
Christopher Hitchens Hitch 22 Review
People in this video
- Christopher HitchensContributing EditorVanity Fair
- Peter SlenSenior Executive ProducerC-SPAN->Book TV
Christopher Hitchens Wiki
Books
Your purchase helps support C-SPAN
Click here to learn how
C-SPAN.org offers links to books featured on the C-SPAN networks to make it simpler for viewers to purchase them. C-SPAN has agreements with retailers that share a small percentage of your purchase price with our network. For example, as an Amazon Associate, C-SPAN earns money from your qualifying purchases. However, C-SPAN only receives this revenue if your book purchase is made using the links on this page.
Any revenue realized from this program goes into a general account to help fund C-SPAN operations.
Please note that questions regarding fulfillment, customer service, privacy policies, or issues relating to your book orders should be directed to the Webmaster or administrator of the specific bookseller's site and are their sole responsibility.
Hosting Organization
- BookExpo AmericaBookExpo America
Series
Christopher Hitchens Hitch 22
Related Video
Summer Reading with Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens answered the question “What are you reading?” He mentioned Dreyfus: Politics, Emotion, and the…
The Gift of Rest
Senator Joe Lieberman spoke briefly about the book he wrote with David Klinghoffer, The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the…
Trainwreck: The End of the Conservative Revolution
Bill Press talked about his book, Trainwreck: The End of the Conservative Revolution. He said the book is a history of…
Carol Blue Interview
Carol Blue, the widow of author Christopher Hitchens, answered viewer questions submitted via Twitter, Facebook, and…