Christopher Hitchens, a sharp-witted provocateur who used his formidable learning, biting wit and muscular prose style to skewer what he considered high-placed hypocrites, craven lackeys of the right and left, “Islamic fascists” and religious faith of any kind, died Thursday “from pneumonia, a complication of esophageal cancer,” according to Vanity Fair, the magazine for which Mr. Hitchens worked. He was 62.
Mr. Hitchens, an English-born writer who had lived in Washington since 1982, was a tireless master of the persuasive essay, which he wrote with an indefatigable energy and venomous glee. He often wrote about the masters of English literature, but he was better known for his lifelong engagement with politics, with subtly nuanced views that did not fit comfortably with the conventional right or left.
In his tartly worded essays, books and television appearances, Mr. Hitchens was a self-styled contrarian who often challenged political and moral orthodoxy. He called Henry Kissinger a war criminal, savaged Mother Teresa and Princess Diana, ridiculed both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, then became an outspoken opponent of terrorism against the West from the Muslim world.
In 2007, Mr. Hitchens aimed his vitriol even higher, writing a best-selling book that disputed the existence of God, then enthusiastically took on anyone — including his own brother — who wanted to argue the matter.
His supporters praised Mr. Hitchens as a truth-telling literary master who, in the words of the Village Voice, was “America’s foremost rhetorical pugilist.” Writer Christopher Buckley has called him “the greatest living essayist in the English language.”
Enemies vilified Mr. Hitchens as a godless malcontent. His onetime colleague at the Nation, Alexander Cockburn, called him “lying, self-serving, fat-assed, chain-smoking, drunken, opportunistic [and] cynical.”
Mr. Hitchens was a raffish character who constantly smoked and drank, yet managed to meet every obligation of a frenetic professional and social schedule. A writer for the Observer newspaper in Britain described him as “at once resolute and dissolute.”
Friends and enemies alike marveled at how the hedonistic Mr. Hitchens, after a full evening of drinking and talking, could then sit down and casually produce sparkling essays for Vanity Fair, the Nation, the Atlantic, Slate.com and many other publications without missing a deadline.
Rest of the article here
He will be greatly missed.
If you never read about him taking a stand against the swastika-symbol of the state-backed street gang, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, and getting beaten up, here is the link to his companion, Michael Totten’s blow-by-blow.
Hard to believe is was only Feb 2009 and he was in good health.
Cancer is a horrible, horrible thing and 62 is far, far too young to die.
May God grant peace and comfort to Christopher’s family and friends.
Rest in Peace CH. You will be missed.
@Nan G:
Ha…I remember that!
May he rest in Heaven…. 😉
Even knowing this day was coming, I was sad to here the inevitable happened. I will continue to pine for Hitch’s fabulous prose, acerbic humor and keen insight. Even when I vehemently disagreed, reading his stuff was pure joy.
Hitch, the atheist in heaven… my, that would be an interesting story I’d love to read, authored from the beyond. I don’t know if he ultimately came to grips with religion in his last years here, or if he believed in an afterlife at all. I’d like to believe he’s pleasantly surprised, and perhaps a bit humbled, at being found wrong.
Religion doesn’t exclusively own the possibility of an afterlife.
Exactly where did I say it does, Greg?
Two thoughts in that sentence… did he come to grips with his views on religion in general? Did he believe in an afterlife at all? He was interviewed about these thoughts near the end. What he said was ‘No evidence or argument has yet been presented which would change my mind. But I like surprises.’
Thus my observation that I’d like to think he was pleasantly surprised.
http://www.atheistmedia.com/2011/12/christopher-hitchens-best-of-hitchslap.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AtheistMedia+%28Atheist+Media%29&utm_content=FaceBook
The best of the Hitch-Slap…
http://www.atheistmedia.com/2011/12/christopher-hitchens-best-of-hitchslap.html