“The English queue, because “if they didn’t, they’d kill each other.”“That’s from a review of AA.Gill’s new book in the New York Times this morning, that had me scrambling to the Library’s website and begging Chas Bowie to try to get hold of a “review copy”* for me.

*”review copies” are free to journalists. Afterwards, some of us sell them at Powell’s. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re probably right.

Gill’s book, The Angry Island is subtitled Hunting the English, and essentially constructs the argument that the English are so unfailingly polite because it’s the only way to suppress their “lapel-poking, Chinese-burning, ram-raiding, street-shouting, sniping, spitting, shoving, vengeful, inventive rage.”

As an Englishman my first reaction on reading the review was, of course, to get angry. Which shows how bloody good the book is. If you want more insight into the paradox that is the English personality, I suggest you go read it. Or you could just have an argument with me. Punk.