Mens's Vogue

Of all the talking heads that networks trot out for their coverage, only one man can be counted on to always upset the pre-packaged debate. Born in Britain and educated at Oxford, Christopher Hitchens, 59, moved to United States in 1981, and has since worked — and argued — as a journalist and public intellectual. He currently writes regularly for a trifecta of publications: The Atlantic, Slate, and Vanity Fair.

Back in the summer of 2001, before 9/11 had spurred Hitchens to focus more on contemporary matters, he was promoting his book, The Trials of Henry Kissinger, in which he denounces the former Secretary of State as a war criminal. In this clip from Politcally Incorrect with Bill Maher the book sparks a clamorous roundtable discussion on Vietnam. Hitchens exhibits all his classic traits: cutting opponents off in mid sentence, cursing, smoking, and generally living his maxim, which he expresses succinctly during the introduction. "You are one of the great writers," Maher tells Hitchens about his book "but I don't agree with everything here." To which Hitchens replies, "You're not supposed to."