
Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens
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Narrated by:
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Simon Prebble
About this listen
The first new collection of essays by Christopher Hitchens since 2004, Arguably offers an indispensable key to understanding the passionate and skeptical spirit of one of our most dazzling writers, widely admired for the clarity of his style, a result of his disciplined and candid thinking. Topics range from ruminations on why Charles Dickens was among the best of writers and the worst of men to the haunting science fiction of J.G. Ballard; from the enduring legacies of Thomas Jefferson and George Orwell to the persistent agonies of anti-Semitism and jihad.
Hitchens even looks at the recent financial crisis and argues for the enduring relevance of Karl Marx. The book forms a bridge between the two parallel enterprises of culture and politics. It reveals how politics justifies itself by culture, and how the latter prompts the former. In this fashion, Arguably burnishes Christopher Hitchens' credentials as - to quote Christopher Buckley - our "greatest living essayist in the English language."
©2011 Christopher Hitchens (P)2011 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Not quite enough
- By Leigh A on 06-27-07
By: Bruce Lawrence
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Eminent Lives
- The Presidents Collection
- By: Michael Korda, Paul Johnson, Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Sam Tsoutsouvas
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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A perfect gift for your favorite history buff, or for your own collection, this audio set from the acclaimed Eminent Lives series is a must for anyone interested in the story of America.
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Great history
- By Michael on 11-23-07
By: Michael Korda, and others
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The Four Horsemen
- The Conversation That Sparked an Atheist Revolution
- By: Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Daniel C. Dennett, Sam Harris, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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In 2007, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett filmed a landmark discussion about modern atheism. The video went viral. Now, the transcript of their conversation is illuminated by new essays from three of the original participants and an introduction by Stephen Fry.
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Short
- By Cole Brandon Eckhardt on 03-22-19
By: Christopher Hitchens, and others
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Hitch-22: A Memoir: Booktrack Edition
- By: Christopher Hitchens
- Narrated by: Christopher Hitchens
- Length: 17 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Over the course of his 60 years, Christopher Hitchens has been a citizen of both the US and the UK. He has been both a socialist opposed to the war in Vietnam and a supporter of the US 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. He sees all sides of an argument and believes the personal is political.
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More audible problems
- By Francoise on 10-23-18
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The Trial of Henry Kissinger
- By: Christopher Hitchens, Ariel Dorfman - introduction
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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America need look no further than its own lauded leaders for a war criminal whose offenses rival those of the most heinous dictators in recent history: Henry Kissinger. Employing evidence based on firsthand testimony, unpublished documents, and new information uncovered by the Freedom of Information Act, and using only what would hold up in international courts of law, The Trial of Henry Kissinger outlines atrocities authorized by the former secretary of state in Indochina, Bangladesh, Chile, Cyprus, and more.
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We need more people like Christopher Hitchens
- By Bruce on 10-13-12
By: Christopher Hitchens, and others
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No One Left to Lie To
- The Triangulations of William Jefferson Clinton
- By: Christopher Hitchens, Douglas Brinkley - foreword
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In No One Left to Lie To, a New York Times best seller, Christopher Hitchens casts an unflinching eye on the Clinton political machine and offers a searing indictment of a president who sought to hold power at any cost. With blistering wit and meticulous documentation, Hitchens masterfully deconstructs Clinton's abject propensity for pandering to the Left while delivering to the Right, and he argues that the president's personal transgressions were ultimately inseparable from his political corruption.
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The lies that have continued...
- By David on 05-19-16
By: Christopher Hitchens, and others
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Islam and the Future of Tolerance
- A Dialogue
- By: Maajid Nawaz, Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Sam Harris, Maajid Nawaz
- Length: 3 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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In this short book, Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz invite you to join an urgently needed conversation: Is Islam a religion of peace or war? Is it amenable to reform? Why do so many Muslims seem drawn to extremism? What do words like Islamism, jihadism, and fundamentalism mean in today's world? Remarkable for the breadth and depth of its analysis, this dialogue between a famous atheist and a former radical is all the more startling for its decorum. Harris and Nawaz have produced something genuinely new: they engage one of the most polarizing issues of our time - fearlessly and fully - and actually make progress.
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Must read for an honest debate on the topics
- By Andre Wallace Simonsen on 12-17-15
By: Maajid Nawaz, and others
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The Greatest Show on Earth
- The Evidence for Evolution
- By: Richard Dawkins
- Narrated by: Richard Dawkins, Lalla Ward
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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The Greatest Show on Earth is a stunning counterattack on advocates of "Intelligent Design," explaining the evidence for evolution while exposing the absurdities of the creationist "argument". Dawkins sifts through rich layers of scientific evidence: from living examples of natural selection to clues in the fossil record; from natural clocks that mark the vast epochs wherein evolution ran its course to the intricacies of developing embryos; from plate tectonics to molecular genetics.
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Back to His Strong Suit
- By Dalton on 09-23-09
By: Richard Dawkins
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Letter to a Christian Nation
- By: Sam Harris
- Narrated by: Jordan Bridges
- Length: 1 hr and 55 mins
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"Forty-four percent of the American population is convinced that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead sometime in the next 50 years," writes Sam Harris. "Imagine the consequences if any significant component of the U.S. government actually believed that the world was about to end and that its ending would be glorious. The fact that nearly half of the American population apparently believes this...should be considered a moral and intellectual emergency."
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the examined life
- By Stanley on 12-20-06
By: Sam Harris
What listeners say about Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens
Highly rated for:
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- Gregory
- 01-20-12
Love the Book; Hate the reading-- Way too fast
Would you try another book from Christopher Hitchens and/or Simon Prebble?
Hitchens puts a lot of thoughts into a few words; his economy of words make one want to enjoy the thought or, perhaps the way it is expressed by a master of English. But, alas, this is the first book I have encountered on Audible where the narrator spews out the words so fast that it is impossible to keep up with the author's train of thought, let alone appreciate the style of writing. Granted the hard cover book is rather large, but don't skimp on audio space by racing through the reading of the book...
After attempting to listen to this book, I had to go out and buy the hard cover. This is the first book I have had this issue with. I have listened to many of Hitchen's debates on my IPod and have had no issue when the author speaks himself. This is clearly the narrator scurrying hastily through the book. Do we get paid by the quantity of books narrated, so that a short book is paid the same as a lengthy tome like Arguably? Doubtable as this may be, it is the only possible reason I could see for the TV and radio-like
How could the performance have been better?
Read Slower. A lot slower.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Collin
- 11-24-12
Format was the only problem
Would you try another book from Christopher Hitchens and/or Simon Prebble?
I would and have.
Any additional comments?
My only concern is that the essays are not seekable by chapters. Skipping a chapter likely means I unintentionally skipped over two or three essays and landed in the middle of a third. This made book navigation very difficult and perhaps the first time I regretted getting an audio book.
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3 people found this helpful
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- T. McDaniel
- 06-12-15
I dare you to only listen once.
I have listened to this several times and will no doubt listen several more. because I learn something new that i missed on the last listen. I Love this book! and the narration is outstanding!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-15-20
Hitch
A huge variety of essays and reviews very well performed. The reader’s tone is not dissimilar to hitchens’.
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- Taribero
- 07-14-22
Excellent
This collection of essays gives us a supreme view of Hitchens' works. It is a must to have it
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- Jeff Lacy
- 02-09-20
Intelligent and original
Hitchens provides intelligent and insightful essays with his original genius of analysis and writing. His range of subjects is deep and wide. One comes away smarter, but also envious of a dexterous and commanding mind and pen.
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- Andrew
- 01-21-13
Eloquent and Intelligent
What did you love best about Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens?
Hitchens' choice of words has always been a highlight to his articles. Considering the book is a collection of many of his articles, it goes without saying that the text will be full of wonder and clarity.
Who was your favorite character and why?
During his story of Taiwan, the introduction of the children there will forever stick in my mind. The book paints such an unfiltered, powerful image that, while reading, I had to take a few seconds to compose myself and journey on.
Have you listened to any of Simon Prebble’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
This was an excellent performance. I've not heard previous ones but, when comparing performances to listen to in the future, his Mr Prebble's name will certainly be the one that I choose when searching for books with multiple narrators.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The final chapters of the book bring good humor to the collection. This is a good thing, considering the previous chapters deal with sometimes drastic historical issues. I laughed heartily and, though no tears were actually shed while reading, they did well up and begin to protest their containment.
Any additional comments?
Considering Hitchens enjoyed using little phrases of multiple languages to drive home a point every now and then in an article, it might help to have an online translator handy so you can type in a phrase and fully understand what the author meant. This is a trademark Hitchens occurrence and takes place within almost every article. So, as Hitch might say, 'Se preparer.'
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- O.
- 02-08-13
Stirred and Shaken
I listened to the 28 hours 26 minutes, which covered 107 essays, most which had been published in The Atlantic, Slate, Vanity Fair or the NYTimes during the 2000’s. I had never heard of Christopher Hitchens prior to this and for whatever reason it was that the book caught my attention and on impulse, I purchased it, I will forever be grateful for the unknown motivation that propelled me to do so. I cannot remember the last time that I felt such amazement at someone’s ability to speak so interestingly and well about such a wide variety of topics. Repeatedly I found myself thinking, “How could one person be so brilliant?” Even if I didn’t always agree with the content of what he was discussing or even understand what he was talking about, I found myself amazed at his command of the English language, vocabulary, use of metaphors, wit and sarcasm, sense of humor, and on and on… I kept thinking, “Who talks/writes/thinks like this anymore?” In a world filled with “thx, u2, c u l8r’s, wat u doin?” etc., it was refreshing to hear his words and thoughts, some which made me laugh out loud, some which made me wince but always, they stimulated my mind.
To read a great review of the book by the NYTimes.
Some reviewers on Audible.com felt that Simon Prebble’s narration speed was too fast. I thought his pace was perfect and his reading flawless, however, I'd recommend listening to the sample to make sure you are comfortable with the reading. (I loved it)
Mr. Hitchens passed away in Dec. 2011. I regret not having discovered him decades ago so I could have enjoyed him while he was still alive but I am thankful that I stumbled upon his work and will certainly seek out more of his writing.
Like most people with busy lives that try to balance work, family, health, and as a writer, editing and writing, I don’t take spending 28 ½ hours on anything lightly, but I’d gladly spend 2600 hours listening to his work if it meant I’d be blessed with 1% of his mental ability.
I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys having their intellect not only stirred but also possibly shaken.
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20 people found this helpful
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- Some
- 02-13-15
A candidate for multiple re-listenings
Absolutely amazing. The sections on German National Socialism in the last third were, admittedly, a little dry. However, the rest is pure gold. The only improvement would have been to have the author record all the essays; the impossibility of this now is not lost on me.
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- chetyarbrough.blog
- 10-02-14
HEAVEN HELL OR THE GREAT VOID
Hitchens’ capacious knowledge and clever phrasing intimidates and delights casual and committed pundits. Whether to heaven hell or the great void, Hitchen’s passing is a great loss. Hitchens’ proves that one may fail as a memoir maven (“Hitch 22”); yet brilliantly succeed with insightful essays about literature, other writers, and a Marxian view of the world.
This rough categorization of Hitchens’ essays is wholly inadequate because in truth Hitchens covers a gamut of historic events in the Middle East and a wide range of subjects from water boarding to the evolution of the word “blow job”. Hitchens is considerably more than the sum of this inadequate review.
At the very least, a reader of Hitchen’s essays will be exposed to a wider world of literature, politics, and belief than most slingers of solipsistic clap trap. Hitchens does not always hit the mark of enlightenment or entertainment in his essays but he is rarely boring. Hitchens’ forays into Pakistan, North Korea, and Iran and his offer to be water boarded are tributes to his manic effort to know the truth of what he writes.
One can salute Hitchens’ intellect and bravery without necessarily believing what he believes. His pursuit of first hand experience; his erudition and wide literary exposure are what any writer or reader admires. One believes he will be loved and missed by many. “Arguably” is a fun and fascinating profile of a very interesting human being.
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