He gives is a good account of the substitutes for true religion, such as the post-war cult of Winston Churchill, or national or local observances, such as Remembrance Day ceremonies. There is a great deal of criticism of a kind of hyper-patriotism founded on a false religiosity. But what is the basis for a critical but real patriotism? Must it not be in the defence of a shared story that is not so much about race or place as about the transformed understanding of persons and of society brought by the story of the Bible? Hitchens says of the terrorists that they "know how to die" because they have a shared story, even if it is a false one. Can our soldiers make sense of their situation in the context of a shared story? If their sacrifices are to mean anything, we must provide such a story that is worth defending and even dying for. 

There can be little national renewal without significant strengthening of marriage and family life. Although families and households can be large or small, extended or nuclear, the close and unique bonds between parents and children lie near the heart of authentic family living. Hitchens tells us that atheists are morally self-confident whereas Christians sense the need for forgiveness and for penitence. A recognition of our weakness and wrongdoing and our seeking of forgiveness are basic to Christianity. I sympathise with his concern that this is being soft-pedalled in the modern Church, where talk of repentance is deeply unpopular. Personal and social renewal will come only when we see where and how we have gone wrong and attempt to put things right.

Religious Education cannot continue to be an interesting description of exotic religions and their practices. It must instead encourage children to learn about the world's religious diversity from the vantage point of the narrative at the root of British society and its social, political, literary and architectural achievements. 

A shared narrative leads to inclusion rather than exclusion. The inventors of multiculturalism were not so much seeking to include people of other faiths as to exclude Christianity, especially as a basis for welcoming and hospitable society. A common story, based on Judaeo-Christian traditions, can be a means of integration, making clear where Britain has come from and the values for which it stands, while inviting others to make their own distinctive contribution to the story.

One of the abiding canards nailed by Peter Hitchens is that religion causes conflict. He does this by showing that so-called "religious" wars had many other elements to them, such as greed for territory, political ambition and nationalism. His repeated references to Soviet brutality reveal that secular ideologies have caused more suffering in recent times than any conflict associated with religion.

This book is a rattling good read. It is also personal testimony. Having effectively analysed our current malaise, it sets out a programme for redressing the problems. As we face the General Election, this is perhaps the most important reason for reading it.