First published 2010
Christopher Hitchens opens his memoir at age 60, holding citizenship in both America and Britain. He traces his journey from socialist Vietnam War opponent to defender of American military action in Iraq. The narrative follows his work as a foreign correspondent in dangerous global hotspots and his reputation as a legendary drinker with an insatiable appetite for books. Hitchens reveals his transformation from Christian upbringing to militant atheism, shaped by his mother's concealed Jewish ancestry and her eventual suicide. He argues that personal experience cannot be separated from political conviction. The memoir captures a man who embraced contradictions, examined every angle of complex issues, and lived without restraint. Hitchens presents his story as proof that a single life can contain opposing truths and evolving principles.
Genres: history, literary-fiction, autobiography, biography-memoir
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-journey, unreliable-narrator
Setting: America, Britain, Iraq
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
435 pages · Hardcover · Twelve
Content warnings: suicide