AUG 09 2004
Christopher Hitchens, Nouveau Historian
We've ignored our favorite liquor-tippler and Vanity Fair crazy-man Christopher Hitchens lately, but that's just because we were tired of the recurring nightmares. We'd even repressed our memories of the reissue of his 1990 book, Blood, Class and Empire. A reader reminds us of his existence with this hilarious Amazon.com user review of the book:
Hitchens, with his wicked British sense of humor (you know, that great unfunny type of pompous intellectual humor) and his passion for all things American, has written a lovely little book about the history of the relationship between America and England. What fun!! In usual Hitchens style, he tells fascinating made-up stories of how the US Congress almost voted to make Swahili the official language of the nation, but lost the vote because of one brave British born representative, Ngwame Tsufu. There is also the wonderful tale of Thomas Jefferson and his romp with several young English lads who had deserted from the British army. I especially enjoyed the story of Abigail Adams spooning the inedible Blood Pudding under the table at a dinner hosted by the British ambassador. Simply wonderful!!
Oh yeah -- very Danielle Steele for the history set. We also like the customer review that says "You'll find more truth at a liars anonymous gathering." They have Liars Anonymous now? Oh, we should so totally go.
Blood, Class and Empire: The Enduring Anglo-American Relationship [Amazon.com] Related: Christopher Hitchens, King Of The Cowards [Gawker]
<http://www.gawker.com/topic/christopher-hitchens-king-of-the-cowards-017031.php>
JUN 30 2004
Christopher Hitchens, King of the Cowards
We don't usually delve into the NY Press too deeply, because the shock value gets unshocking real fast, but in all fairness Matt Taibbi's takedown of Christopher Hitchens and the state of journalism today is hilarious. Pissed off by Hitchie's recent Michael Moore slam, Taibbi's not buying the idea that journalists are much more than corporate mouthpieces, Hitchens included:
Such is the pretense of modern journalism, that we are to be lectured on courage by a man who has had his intellectual face lifted so many times, he can't close his eyes without opening his mouth. By a man who, if the Soviets had won the Cold War, would be writing breathless features on Eduard Shevardnadze for three bucks a word in Komsomolskaya Vanity Fair ("Georgia on His Mind: Edik Speaks Out." Photos by Annie Liebowitz...).
Shoveling Coal For Satan [NY Press] <http://www.nypress.com/17/26/news&columns/MattTaibbi.cfm>