In
The New York Times Book Review, which compared Hitchens's efforts favourably with those of
Alan Dershowitz (whose
Letters to a Young Lawyer opened the series alongside them), Alexander Star offered a generally friendly critique. "At his best," he wrote, "Hitchens exhibits precisely the combination of indignation and intellect that he recommends to others." "Hitchens," noted
The Progressive, published his usual stack of important books during the course of 2001. Most noted was
his case for the prosecution of
Henry Kissinger for
war crimes. History's least deserving
Nobel Peace Prize recipient was forced to respond to Hitchens's proposal, and that alone could have made
The Trial of Henry Kissinger the standout Hitchens text of the year. Yet, it is not. The finest book by Hitchens, and possibly the finest book of the year, is a short tome on how to assault contemporary
hypocrisies by the man who has taken on every deity from
Mother Teresa to
Princess Di.
Letters to a Young Contrarian [...] is a rough mix of
autobiography and intellectual
self-help advice. It is delicious because it showcases Hitchens at his most savage and wise (he reveals a warm spot for the under-appreciated
utopian radicalism of
William Morris and his circle). Above all,
Letters to a Young Contrarian is necessary for its exploration of the role of the dissenter in a time of too much
politeness. "Seek out argument and disputation for its own sake," Hitchens urges. "The grave will provide plenty of time for silence." ==References==