LETTERS Gentle rebuke
Sir: In his Blackpool Diary for the New Statesman, published on 3 October 1975, Anthony Howard gave currency to the fol- lowing clever observation about the trick- ster Harold Wilson: • I swear to seeing several winces as the mae- stro began another rolling sentence with the words 'I've been leader of this movement for nearly 13 years.' That particular period has still not lost its savour as a catch-phrase for wasted time and the leader seemed to sense this 'bad vibe' by referring, in his address to conference next day, to a stint of 'twelve and a half.
I well recall the same episode myself, and indeed allude to it in my new book For the Sake of Argument (though I stupidly mis- printed the date as 1976). Your man Anthony Howard now wastes a full half- column of a null review (Books, 5 June) in crowing witlessly that, whether set in 1975 or 1976, the story 'cannot possibly be true'. I am, as Mr Howard points out, only a salon socialist with no reputation for exacti- tude to defend. But he is known chiefly as a Pedant and scorekeeper and has, therefore, rather more to lose by the perpetration of such a hilarious howler and own goal.
Incidentally, there are four index refer- ences to Mr Howard's journalism in my book. All of these expose him to the gentle ridicule that is his lot, even among his friends. If he understandably did not share this fun fact with your readers he might still, perhaps, have disclosed it, Sir, to you.
Apologies are a bore. What you do still ewe me is a review, and indeed a reviewer.
Christopher Hitchens 2022 Columbia Road, NW Washington DC 20009
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