Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Eric Hitchens (born April 13, 1949) is a British journalist, author, and literary critic. He lives in Washington, DC, and has been a columnist at Vanity Fair, The Nation, Slate, and an occasional contributor to many other publications.

Praise for and criticism of Hitchens

Appropriately for a self-described "contrarian" who deliberately seeks to provoke, Hitchens is the subject of considerable praise and admiration, as well as of severe criticism. Among his admirers are The Observer writer Lynn Barber, who wrote a glowing profile of him in 2002 http://observer.guardian.co.uk/worldview/story/0,11581,683899,00.html and the editors, including David Horowitz, at FrontPageMag.com who appreciate his support for the Iraq war and his criticisms of the Left. In September 2005, Hitchens was named as one of the "Top 100 Public Intellectuals" http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3249 by Foreign Policy and Britain's Prospect magazine.

Related Topics:
The Observer - Lynn Barber - David Horowitz - FrontPageMag.com - 2005 - Foreign Policy - Britain - Prospect

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Some criticize Hitchens for his frequent television appearances, and claim that he is egotistic and has changed his political views for personal gain. Among his most severe critics are one-time colleagues and friends Alexander Cockburn and Norman Finkelstein. Cockburn has frequently alluded to Hitchens's tendency to tipple, and Finkelstein has argued that the change in Hitchens's political views has more to do with being on the right side of power than with heartfelt convictions. In a column for August 20, 2005 http://www.counterpunch.com/cockburn08202005.html, Cockburn wrote: "What a truly disgusting sack of shit Hitchens is. A guy who called Sid Blumenthal one of his best friends and then tried to have him thrown into prison for perjury; a guy who waited till his friend Edward Said was on his death bed before attacking him in the Atlantic Monthly; a guy who knows perfectly well the role Israel plays in US policy but who does not scruple to flail Cindy Sheehan as a LaRouchie and anti-Semite because, maybe, she dared mention the word Israel."

Related Topics:
Alexander Cockburn - Norman Finkelstein - August 20 - 2005 - Sid Blumenthal - Perjury - Edward Said - Atlantic Monthly - Cindy Sheehan - LaRouchie

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Hitchen's reply can be found here http://hitchensweb.com/reply.html.

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