For the sake of argument : essays and minority reports

The global turmoil of the late 1980s and early 1990s severely tested every analyst and commentator. Few wrote with such insight as Christopher Hitchens about the large events - or with such discernment and wit about the small tell-tale signs of a disordered culture. First published in 1993, the writings in For the Sake of Argument range from the political squalor of Washington to the twilight of Stalinizm in Prague, from the Jewish quarter of Damascus in the aftermath of the Gulf War to the embattled barrios of Central America. Hitchens provides re-assessments of Graham Greene, P.G. Woodhouse. Read more... Abstract: The global turmoil of the late 1980s and early 1990s severely tested every analyst and commentator. Few wrote with such insight as Christopher Hitchens about the large events - or with such discernment and wit about the small tell-tale signs of a disordered culture. First published in 1993, the writings in For the Sake of Argument range from the political squalor of Washington to the twilight of Stalinizm in Prague, from the Jewish quarter of Damascus in the aftermath of the Gulf War to the embattled barrios of Central America. Hitchens provides re-assessments of Graham Greene, P.G. Woodhouse Cover 1 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Dedication Page 9 Contents 15 Introduction 16 1. Studies in Demoralization 21 Where Were You Standing? 22 On the Imagination of Conspiracy 30 Contempt for the Little Colony 51 The State Within the State 64 Voting in the Passive Voice 77 The Hate that Dare Not Speak Its Name 98 A Pundit Who Need Never Dine Alone 106 Hard on the Houseboy 109 New Orleans in a Brown Shirt 112 Rioting in Mount Pleasant 116 Billionaire Populism 120 The Clemency of Clinton 123 Clinton as Rhodesian 127 Bill’s Bills in Miami 130 2. The Power and the Glory 135 Realpolitik in the Gulf: A Game Gone Tilt 136 Churchillian Delusions 153 No End of a Lesson 157 Befriending the Kurds 160 Arise, Sir Norman 164 Jewish in Damascus 168 Songs Fit For Heroes 172 Hating Sweden 176 Squeezing Costa Rica 180 The Saviour 183 Tio Sam 187 The Autumn of Patriarch 194 Third Thoughts 197 3. The Cunning History 206 Cretinismo Eroico 207 The Twilight of Panzerkommunismus 210 Police Mentality 222 On the Road to Timşoara 226 Bricks in the Wall 240 The Free Market Cargo Cult 243 Now Neo-conservatives Perish 247 Appointment in Sarajevo 262 4. No Class: Toryism Today 276 ‘Society’ and Its Enemies 277 Credibility Politics: Sado-Monetarist Economics 280 Union Jackshirt: Ingham’s Conservative Chic 294 Neil Kinnock: Defeat Without Honour 302 Bribing and Twisting 306 5. Coach Into Pumpkin: The Fairy Tale Reviewed 314 How’s the Vampire? 315 Charlie’s Angel 323 Unhappy Families 325 Princess of Dysfunction 333 6. Ideas and Interests 339 New York Intellectuals and the Prophet Outcast 340 Clubland Intellectuals 354 The ‘We’ Fallacy 370 Shouting Anarchy 379 Politically Correct 387 Friend of Promise 390 Booze and Fags 399 7. Rogues’ Gallery 413 Nixon: Maestro of Resentment 414 Kissinger: A Touch of Evil 421 Berlin’s Mandate for Palestine 436 Ghoul of Calcutta 440 The Life of Johnson 443 A Grave Disappointment All Round 452 Too Big For His Boot 463 P.J. O’Rourke: Not Funny Enough 475 Not Funny Enough (2) 480 Warhol in One Dimension 482 8. Critical Resources 492 Siding with Rushdie 493 Goya’s Radical Pessimism 516 Degenerate Art 520 James Baldwin: Humanity First 524 Updike on the Make 530 P.G. Wodehouse in Love, Poverty and War 533 Greene: Where the Shadow Falls 540 Kazuo Ishiguro 546 Victor Serge 550 C.L.R James 555 In Defence of Daniel Deronda 558 Index 583 About the Author 721 EBC,Converted Content: Cover Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Page Contents Introduction 1. Studies in Demoralization Where Were You Standing? On the Imagination of Conspiracy Contempt for the Little Colony The State Within the State Voting in the Passive Voice The Hate that Dare Not Speak Its Name A Pundit Who Need Never Dine Alone Hard on the Houseboy New Orleans in a Brown Shirt Rioting in Mount Pleasant Billionaire Populism The Clemency of Clinton Clinton as Rhodesian Bill's Bills in Miami 2. The Power and the Glory Realpolitik in the Gulf: A Game Gone Tilt Churchillian Delusions. No End of a LessonBefriending the Kurds Arise, Sir Norman Jewish in Damascus Songs Fit For Heroes Hating Sweden Squeezing Costa Rica The Saviour Tio Sam The Autumn of Patriarch Third Thoughts 3. The Cunning History Cretinismo Eroico The Twilight of Panzerkommunismus Police Mentality On the Road to Timşoara Bricks in the Wall The Free Market Cargo Cult Now Neo-conservatives Perish Appointment in Sarajevo 4. No Class: Toryism Today 'Society' and Its Enemies Credibility Politics: Sado-Monetarist Economics Union Jackshirt: Ingham's Conservative Chic. Neil Kinnock: Defeat Without HonourBribing and Twisting 5. Coach Into Pumpkin: The Fairy Tale Reviewed How's the Vampire? Charlie's Angel Unhappy Families Princess of Dysfunction 6. Ideas and Interests New York Intellectuals and the Prophet Outcast Clubland Intellectuals The 'We' Fallacy Shouting Anarchy Politically Correct Friend of Promise Booze and Fags 7. Rogues' Gallery Nixon: Maestro of Resentment Kissinger: A Touch of Evil Berlin's Mandate for Palestine Ghoul of Calcutta The Life of Johnson A Grave Disappointment All Round Too Big For His Boot. P.J. O'Rourke: Not Funny EnoughNot Funny Enough (2) Warhol in One Dimension 8. Critical Resources Siding with Rushdie Goya's Radical Pessimism Degenerate Art James Baldwin: Humanity First Updike on the Make P.G. Wodehouse in Love, Poverty and War Greene: Where the Shadow Falls Kazuo Ishiguro Victor Serge C.L.R James In Defence of Daniel Deronda Index About the Author. The global turmoil of the late 1980s and early 1990s severely tested every analyst and commentator. Few wrote with such insight as Christopher Hitchens about the large events—or with such discernment and wit about the small tell-tale signs of a disordered culture. First published in 1993, the writings in For the Sake of Argument range from the political squalor of Washington to the twilight of Stalinizm in Prague, from the Jewish quarter of Damascus in the aftermath of the Gulf War to the embattled barrios of Central America. Hitchens provides re-assessments of Graham Greene, P. G. Woodhouse and C. L. R. James, and his rogues' gallery gives us portraits of Henry Kissinger, Mother Theresa and P. J. O'Rouke. The addition of pieces on political assassination in America, as well as a devastating indictment of the evisceration of politics by pollsters and spin doctors, and an entertaining celebration of booze and fags, complete this outstanding collection from a writer of unequalled talent.Christopher Hitchens (1949-2011) was a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and a columnist for Slate. He was the author of numerous books, including works on Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, George Orwell, Mother Teresa,Henry Kissinger and Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as his international bestseller and National Book Award nominee, god Is Not Great. His memoir, Hitch-22, which was a Sunday Times bestseller, was nominated for the Orwell Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. His last book, Mortality, was published in 2012 by Atlantic Books. The test of this kind of book is for the reader to be able to open it anywhere and be drawn into the argument; it's a test that Hitchens passes time and time again... He can be devilishly funny, but he is also capable of writing with acid seriousness. -- The Independent The global turmoil of the late 1980s and early 1990s severely tested every analyst and commentator. Few wrote with such insight as Christopher Hitchens about the large events - or with such discernment and wit about the small tell-tale signs of a disordered culture. First published in 1993, the writings in For the Sake of Argument range from the political squalor of Washington to the twilight of Stalinizm in Prague, from the Jewish quarter of Damascus in the aftermath of the Gulf War to the embattled barrios of Central America. Hitchens provides re-assessments of Graham Greene, P. G. Woodhouse and C. L. R. James, and his rogues'gallery gives us portraits of Henry Kissinger, Mother Theresa and P. J. O'Rouke. The addition of pieces on political assassination in America, as well as a devastating indictment of the evisceration of politics by pollsters and spin doctors, and an entertaining celebration of booze and fags, complete this outstanding collection from a writer of unequalled talent. The test of this kind of book is for the reader to be able to open it anywhere and be drawn into the argument; it's a test that Hitchens passes time and time again... He can be devilishly funny, but he is also capable of writing with acid seriousness. — The Independent The global turmoil of the late 1980s and early 1990s severely tested every analyst and commentator. Few wrote with such insight as Christopher Hitchens about the large events - or with such discernment and wit about the small tell-tale signs of a disordered culture. First published in 1993, the writings in For the Sake of Argument range from the political squalor of Washington to the twilight of Stalinizm in Prague, from the Jewish quarter of Damascus in the aftermath of the Gulf War to the embattled barrios of Central America. Hitchens provides re-assessments of Graham Greene, P. G. Woodhouse and C. L. R. James, and his rogues' gallery gives us portraits of Henry Kissinger, Mother Theresa and P. J. O'Rouke. The addition of pieces on political assassination in America, as well as a devastating indictment of the evisceration of politics by pollsters and spin doctors, and an entertaining celebration of booze and fags, complete this outstanding collection from a writer of unequalled talent.

The global turmoil of the late 1980s and early 1990s severely tested every analyst and commentator. Few wrote with such insight as Christopher Hitchens about the large events - or with such discernment and wit about the small tell-tale signs of a disordered culture. First published in 1993, the writings in For the Sake of Argument range from the political squalor of Washington to the twilight of Stalinizm in Prague, from the Jewish quarter of Damascus in the aftermath of the Gulf War to the embattled barrios of Central America. Hitchens provides re-assessments of Graham Greene, P. G. Woodhouse and C. L. R. James, and his rogues' gallery gives us portraits of Henry Kissinger, Mother Theresa and P. J. O'Rouke. The addition of pieces on political assassination in America, as well as a devastating indictment of the evisceration of politics by pollsters and spin doctors, and an entertaining celebration of booze and fags, complete this outstanding collection from a writer of unequalled talent.

Art has always been part of history. But we often think of it as outside history. When we look at a painting by Raphael, Rembrandt or Rubens it speaks to us directly, but it's also an historical document, part of a living world. Renowned art historian Martin Kemp takes the reader on an extraordinary trip through art, from devotional works to the revolutionary techniques of the Renaissance, from the courtly Masters of the seventeenth century through to the daring avant-garde of the twentieth century and beyond. Along the way we encounter the great names of art history: Leonardo da Vin