There are many types of war. Some are fought on matters of principle. Many, I suspect, are fought on matters of comfort. For the last few decades Britain has been squabbling with the Common Market, the EEC, the EC and the EU (or whatever name it wore at the time) over matters of comfort not principle. There have been victories (France and Holland voting against the constitution for instance was certainly seen as a cause for rejoicing) and setbacks (Common Agriculture Policy for instance).

This week saw a resounding victory. The European Union has given up on its efforts to force Britain to adopt the metric system universally. We can continue to buy a metre of 3 by 1 inch timber. We can continue to have cars using petrol at so many miles per litre or kilometres per gallon. We can continue to buy a pint of milk or a half of lager.

I am told that the non-fiction editorial department of Pan Macmillan had early knowledge about this decision and with enormous foresight arranged for About the size of it by Warwick Cairns to be published to coincide. As Alexander McCall Smith says about it:

'A full and convincing account of why our well-tried and trusted traditional measures make human sense'.

This is one of the many new books hitting my desk at the beginning of the Autumn season. It really feels to be an impressive list. Here are just a few of the top titles (five fiction, five non-fiction) as selected by our top salesperson. A prize for anyone who guesses the correct order by sales value as measured at the end of December.