Us & Them

In this comparison of British and American culture written by an American, the author's ""narrative stance is mid-Atlantic,'' as he puts it. He covers such topics as ``Elvises'' (Presley and Costello), George Plimpton (``a pseudo-Englishman''), rock 'n' roll (``one of the few things Americans can legitimately claim to have given the British''), ``Oxbridge'' vs. Harvard and Yale, and cricket contrasted with baseball (``The games are as mysterious as the countries they represent''). Americans and Britons, Cobb argues, are ``members of the same family,'' and he often takes note of aspects of American life derived from the Mother Country, such as the cop's nightstick, a descendant of ``the bobby's truncheon.'' Other topics: slang, television, theme parks, food, pets, pubs and bars, prep vs. public schools, royalty, money, tea, sex and mass murderers. Cobb's lively writing style is embellished with equally entertaining graphicsmany photos and the works of artists have been combined in a clever montage that illustrates cultural contrasts. (February)