Letter to the Editor by Adam Sisman

[Note:  I reviewed Sisman's book about James Boswell in the March issue of TNC.  My review drew the following letter from Sisman, printed, with my reply, in the May issue.  I include this little exchange as an illustration of the exquisitely genteel nature of literary life in the oughts — not at all like the Hobbesian state of nature you might suspect from reading literary memoirs.]

To the editors:

I am grateful for the flattering review of the British edition of my book Boswell’s Presumptuous Task in your March issue.  Since your reviewer kindly remarks on the absence of errors, it may seem churlish to contradict him, but, in the interests of accuracy, I must correct his one correction.  In his accession speech, George III did say “I glory in the name of Britain,” not “Briton.”  This also give me the opportunity to point out that my book will be published in America by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in August.

Adam Sisman
Bath, England

John Derbyshire replies

I am flattered that Mr. Sisman has noticed my review of his very fine book, to which I wish all success here in the United States.  The difference of opinion to which he refers came about as follows.  Reading his use of the word “Britain” in that quotation, I recalled my school history text printing it as “Briton.”  I therefore went to my Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (second edition, 1955) for a ruling.  That authority gives:

"Born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of Briton.  (Speech from the throne, 1760.)"

Armed with this, and with my own instinct that “Briton” makes much more sense in the context than “Britain,” I passed the remark to which Mr. Sisman has taken exception.  If I was wrong, I am sorry, but I cannot feel very much abashed, since I am wrong in such good company.