Previous Convictions: Assignments from Here and There

By A.A. Gill

Book Overview

Critic, essayist and cultural savant A.A. Gill is probably the most widely read columnist in Britain. His books The Angry Island and A.A. Gill is away have found delighted fans in America as well, and sparked a loyal following.

His new book of travel essays, Previous Convictions, ranges from Gill's nearby domestic locales of Glastonbury and the English countryside to Haiti, Guatemala, Pakistan and exotic, dangerous, downtown Manhattan. In this collection of notes from the corners of the globe, and sometimes from the edge of sanity, he confesses about his travels far and wide, "The more I see of the world, the less I think I understand. Familiarity breeds even more astonishment. The world just gets wider and deeper and weirder."

These pieces are wickedly funny, sometimes pointedly -- even purposely -- critical of many cultures and traditions, and always edifying and enchanting. As an adventurer and as a writer, Gill never disappoints; while he may take others to task for their customs, habits, idiosyncrasies and plain bad taste, his own indefatigable curiosity keeps him going back again and again for more, and provides us with spectacular entertainment along the way.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 141657249X
• ISBN13: 9781416572497
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Classic Gill

If you are, as I am, a confirmed despiser of Celine Dion, Siegfried and Roy, and Las Vegas in general, you'll love the tone and humor of this book. I had to read his chapter on Las Vegas twice. Gill's description of Dion's personal theater at Caesar's and her over-rehearsed, mock-sincere act, not to mention the vicious rapier-skewering of the German animal-act duo, are spot on. I have to say the same about his summary of the sink-or-swim, bike-lest-ye-die mentality of the New York health club scene. Dipping a toe into the latest fad workouts from African dance to mega-spinning to an Indian guru's sweat box, Gill endures every humiliation to report on the competitive culture of America's dog-eat-dog metropolis. I could only shake my head at the futility of people who just don't see it - and am thankful that Gill, always the astute observer, isn't afraid to point out the emperor's lack of clothes. His tale of the hippie festival at Glastonbury is hilarious, as is the chapter on Texas - despite the comments of the America-bashing colleague who accompanied him on the trip through the heartland. The humor is balanced by sensitive reporting on such diverse topics as working conditions for gold miners in South Africa and seal-hunting Eskimos in Greenland. Some chapters I couldn't relate to, such as the one on golf; and the story about stag hunting in Scotland didn't particularly interest me. That's a matter of personal taste. I'm not a sailor, either, but found Gill's essay on sailing a vintage boat out of Capri simply captivating. Those familiar with the author's work will not be disappointed. Newbies will find something of interest with this diverse collection of subjects. Some of the descriptions are the best I've read, summing up a place or person with concise, witty language that leaves you hungry for more. Too bad Mr. Gill doesn't write for a newspaper in the States so we can enjoy his prose on a regular basis.