The death Christopher Hitchens at the age of 62 comes as no surprise but robs the world of one of the great orators of our age. I didn’t always agree with his views, notably his support of the US attack on Iraq, but his opinions were always rationally argued and delivered with a wit and eloquence that put most public figures in the shade.

For this reason, I prefer watching clips of him on You Tube to reading his columns or books. This video of him talking about death and the afterlife  seems apt in the sad circumstances:

 Related links:
Illness made Hitchens a symbol of the honesty and dignity of atheism (Richard Dawkins – The Independent)
Consummate writer, brilliant friend (Ian McEwan – The Guardian)
Christopher Hitchens remembered (Slate tributes)