Hitchens remains sharp and contrary to the end

Arguably By Christopher Hitchens, Atlantic Books, €21.40

Terminally ill and gazing upon the final curtain as it twitches in the middle distance, Christopher Hitchens is doing his best to go out with a very loud bang.

Hard on the heels of last year’s autobiography Hitch22,this colossal volume of essays is hefty enough to be used as a burglar-braining device if you get bogged down in its 789 pages.

The 107 pieces have been ...