Over the last thirty years Christopher Hitchens has established himself as one of the worlds most influential public intellectuals. His originality bravery range and wit made him first a leading iconoclast of the political left and then later in his career a formidable advocate of secular liberalism. When the Twin Towers were attacked in September 2001 Hitchens was re-energised again quickly emerging as one of the fiercest and most influential advocates of war on Iraq. In this long-awaited and candid memoir Hitchens re-traces the footsteps of his life to date from his childhood in Portsmouth with his adoring tragic mother and reserved Naval officer father; to his life in Washington DC the base from which from he would launch fierce attacks on tyranny of all kinds. Along the way he recalls the girls boys and booze; the friendships and the feuds; the grand struggles and lost causes; and the mistakes and misgivings that have characterised his life. Hitch-22 is by turns moving and funny charming and infuriating enraging and inspiring. It is an indispensable companion to the life and thought of our pre-eminent political writer.