''It''s fair to say that Peter Hitchens remains one of the most misrepresented figures in the British media... Hitchens is in reality one of the most thought-provoking and intelligent commentators on life in contemporary Britain'' -- Neil Clark, Spectator From identification cards to how we protect our property, public debate rages over what our basic human rights are, and how they are to be protected.In this trenchant and provocative book Peter Hitchens sets out to show that popular views of these hotly contested issues - from crime and punishment to so-called ''soft drugs'' - are based on mistaken beliefs, massaged figures and cheap slogans. His powerful and counter-intuitive conclusions make challenging reading for those on both the Left and the Right and are essential reading for all concerned with creating a lawful and peaceful society.The Abolition of Liberty argues that because of the misdemeanours of the few, the liberty of the many is seriously jeopardized.''The issues Hitchens is addressing are important and his willingness to challenge shibboleths is often illuminating ... he is rightly scathing about attempts to deal with crime by raising the conviction rate.'' -- John Willman, Financial Times''It is a pleasure to read a lucid polemic by a man who is so obviously more interested in the welfare of the common man than in the approbation of his peers'' Theodore Dalrymple, Sunday Telegraph''[This book] should not be ignored... there are several pressing challenges to liberals and the left in particular.'' -- Jonathan Freedland, Guardian