Hitch-22

A Memoir

By: Christopher Hitchens

Narrated by: Christopher Hitchens

Over the course of his 60 years, Christopher Hitchens has been a citizen of both the United States and the United Kingdom. He has been both a socialist opposed to the war in Vietnam and a supporter of the U.S. war against Islamic extremism in Iraq. He has been both a foreign correspondent in some of the world's most dangerous places and a legendary bon vivant with an unquenchable thirst for alcohol and literature. He is a fervent atheist, raised as a Christian, by a mother whose Jewish heritage was not revealed to him until her suicide.

In other words, Christopher Hitchens contains multitudes. He sees all sides of an argument. And he believes the personal is political.

This is the story of his life, lived large.

Critic reviews

"Hitchens also proves to be more than a capable reader; his wit, erudition, and passionate unbelief could not have been conveyed as compellingly by a surrogate. Highly recommended for all general collections."—Library Journal on God Is Not Great

"As narrator, he contributes a pleasantly moderated voice and a listener-friendly British accent."—AudioFile Magazine on God Is Not Great

Hitchen's own narration is a big bonus

The only thing I knew about Hitch, as close friends tend to call him, is that he is a master of the written English word. I came to admire his essays on the American political scene during the 2008 elections and found that his scalpel-sharp wit and keen twist of phrase made otherwise mundane subjects exciting. I don't even agree with many of his political or anti-religious views, but his self-effacing intellectual analysis is worth a listen. In this Audible book, Hitchens narrates his own tome, and it adds to the experience. He delivers his written words with deadpan sincerity, as if he were recounting his life over a scotch and some cigs. It is a credit to his writing that he could read his own text and still have it sound almost like a conversation. For American readers, his memoir is also an interesting peek inside the European perspective on the Boomer generation, the Cold War, and the 1960s.

Essential Hitchens Reading

I’ve been a fan of Hitchens for over 10 years. I have read this book before, but thought I could try the audio version.

I’ve always enjoyed Hitchens’ talks, there’s something so engaging about them; naturally I thought I would like the experience of listening to him read his own work. I did. I believe his narration of his writing made this a tremendous listen for me.

I can understand those who had a hard time understanding him at times. I don’t feel as though he mumbled, but I can see how some listeners might have had some trouble discerning what was being said. I did have to rewind a few times to make sure I understood.

If you’re a fan of Hitchens, I strongly recommend this book. The writing is impeccable, the stories are as varied as they are interesting. He was an individual who had a unique perspective on a wide array of issues, to see where he came to these beliefs is fascinating.

Hitch telling the Hitch story

Excellent book, excellent experience, everything I expected and more. The interview at the end of the book is the cherry on top. Could not have picked a better piece for my very first audio book!

Fascinating and superb

If you're a fan of the Hitch, then this book will not disappoint, particularly if you get the audiobook as he himself narrates it. I had known he was a leftist when he was young but had no idea of the extent of his activities and it was fascinating to hear of his exploits and eventual transition to a more libertarian view. He certainly had an interesting life and even though this is a memoir there are plenty of take away facts for a raft of historical events he was involved in / witnessed. Highly recommended.

Hard to understand

What did you love best about Hitch-22?

I loved it that Hitch narrated his own story. On the other hand his narration leaves something to be desired in that sometimes the ends of his sentences were quite inaudible. A professional narrator wouldn't have made that mistake.

Despite some crassness, a wonderful memoir.

Would you listen to Hitch-22 again? Why?

Might listen to this again. Christopher was a learned and articulate individual. Lots of depth to each sentence.

What other book might you compare Hitch-22 to and why?

His brother Peter's "The Rage Against God." Peter's book centers purely on religion, but is also nearly a quarter of the length of "Hitch-22." Introspective insight from these two men were very valuable to me.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Christopher's recounting of a fan of his that, inspired by his work and his own moral motivations, became a soldier in the U.S. military and bravely (yet unknowingly) sacrificed himself for the sake of others. It's an anecdote that transcends the political spectrum, religious beliefs, and worldviews common and nuanced.

Any additional comments?

Note that there is some cursing, and Christopher is not afraid to infer sexual intimacy. It's worth examining if you're able to stomach that, however.

The detail was impressive.

Very interesting read, I enjoyed hearing his perspectives and insights on the various topics and aspects of his story.

This man is a most erudite and compelling orator.

The breadth of topics covered and the depth of research that was put into this magisterial work.

Pure Christopher Hitchens

I love it when an autobiographer performs his own audio book. Hitchens did so in his easy conversational style that often cloaked the sting of his opinions. I'm remiss in waiting until three years after his death to listen to Hitch-22.

I'm a long time admirer of Hitchens despite disagreeing with him on many topics. I admire his intellect, his clarity of presenting his case in speech and writing, his decency as a person,and possibly maybe most of all for his audacity in dealing with controversial topics.

For those of us who have been observers of his work for 25 or 30 years, there is little new in Memoirs other than his early life up until his late teens including his relationship with his mother and father. Hitchens was a profoundly moral man who acted on his beliefs. Those political beliefs were far left of center for all of his life, but not always apparently internally consistent. The book was extraordinarily well written and performed.

For those who do not know about Christopher Hitchens, this book is not the place to start. At least read his Wikipedia bio and watch a few of the many Youtuble videos that are readily available first.

I miss the contributions of Christopher Hitchens to the political dialog in the US and Europe. There is simply no journalist who can replace him. His relatively short 62 years were a well and fully lived life. I absolutely loved Memoirs.

Fantastic in Every Way and Very Hitch

If a book could be like a box of chocolates, then this could very well be a delightful box of Thorton’s. Knowing his serious body of work it is interesting to have insight into how he was raised from a semi working class background to Oxford.

I loved that he read his book. His reading is the perfect vehicle for his memoir. His voice guides the listener through the twists and turns of his life. His style of reading is exactly as I have seen in his numerous interviews and speeches.

The story of his mother and how she influenced his life was so telling, and as they say, behind every great man is a great woman, and that would be Yvonne.

Worth the wait and worth every moment of time spent listening to this book. I would give this more than 5 stars, and would say if you love Christopher Hitchens, you will love this book.

Tongue In Cheek: God is an Englishman.