A SURVEY of global reading habits reveals that the book that Britons most like to read is . . . a book that does not exist.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince tops Amazon’s bestsellers by virtue of advance orders: it is published on July 16. The study, which was commissioned to celebrate World Book Day today, analysed the top-selling books over the past year sold to 47 million customers on Amazon’s six sites around the globe — Britain, Germany, France, America, Canada and Japan.

Working with Paul Filmer, literary sociologist at Goldsmith’s College, University of London, Amazon has read between the lines of what the Top Ten bookcharts of each country reveals about a nation.

Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code — the story of how Jesus did not die on the Cross, but married Mary Magdalene and started a family in France, where descendants survive to this day — appears on every country’s bestsellers list other than Japan’s. With much of the novel’s action set in their country, the French are displaying a patriotic approach. Half of the books in their top 10 are by Brown — or focus on the themes raised in his books.

Germany has the largest number of works of fiction compared to the other countries. Classics such as Saint Exupéry’s The Little Prince, first published in 1943, continue to rank highly alongside more modern classics.

Dr Filmer said: “The German list contrasts interestingly with the American taste for non-fiction . . . The best-selling book (in America) is Jon Stewart’s satirical take on democracy, based on his TV show. But the memoirs of Bill Clinton reinforce his continuing popularity, and the presence on the list of the exposé of John Kerry’s war record written by Vietnam veterans might have given an early indication of last year’s presidential election result.”

The Canadians are gripped by adventure books, the Japanese are obsessed with self-help studies, seeking guidance on anything from careers to housework according to the principles of Feng Shui.

But for the British, is a phantom Harry Potter better than The Da Vinci Code? It’s certainly better than reading Flanimals, dire non-comedy from the otherwise brilliant Ricky Gervais — and no, you can’t say he (or his publisher) ought to have known better, because his embarrassing post-Seuss effort is selling like hot cakes (though if you read the reviews on Amazon, you might get the sense that some buyers feel hoodwinked).

Yes, it’s depressing. Though we might be able to console ourselves with the thought that we are not quite as sad as the Japanese, who are buying for their children (or worse! the children are buying for themselves!) Job Guidance for 13-year-olds and all triers.

Some relief on the British list is provided by the presence of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, hanging in there at No 10. And OK, we only have two Dan Brown titles against the French four (one’s not by Brown, but about him, which counts too, in case you were wondering).

But for the most part, you have to say we Britons are after, in our chosen reading matter, celebrities (Gervais, Palin, Oliver), self-improvement of the self-deprecating kind (Truss, Trinny and Susannah) and . . . well, Dan Brown. And of course, a book that isn’t one yet. Three cheers for us. Imaginary cheers, that is.

BRITAIN

1 Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince JK Rowling
2 You Are What You Eat Gillian McKeith
3 The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown
4 Eats, Shoots & Leaves Lynne Truss
5 Himalaya Michael Palin
6 Jamie’s Dinners Jamie Oliver
7 Flanimals Ricky Gervais
8 Angels and Demons Dan Brown
9 What You Wear Can Change Your Life Trinny and Susannah
10 The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night Time Mark Haddon

AMERICA

1 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Presents America: A Citizen’s Guide To Democracy In Action Jon Stewart
2 Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince JK Rowling
3 The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown
4 Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don’t
5 The South Beach Diet Arthur Agatston
6 My Life Bill Clinton
7 Eats, Shoots & Leaves Lynne Truss
8 The Five People You Meet in Heaven Mitch Albom
9 He’s Just Not That Into You Greg Behrendt
10 Unfit For Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry Jerome R. Corsi

CANADA

1 The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown
2 Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince JK Rowling
3 Angels and Demons Dan Brown
4 Eats, Shoots & Leaves Lynne Truss
5 Me to We: Turning Self-Help on Its Head Craig Kielburger
6 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Presents America: A Citizen’s Guide To Democracy In Action Jon Stewart
7 The Da Vinci Code: Special Illustrated Edition Dan Brown
8 He’s Just Not That Into You Greg Behrendt
9 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Mark Haddon
10 My Life Bill Clinton

FRANCE

1 Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince JK Rowling
2 Da Vinci Code Dan Brown
3 Se Faire Obéir Sans Crier Barbara Unell
4 Code Da Vinci: L’enquête Marie-France Etchegoin
5 Histoire Des Codes Secrets Simon Singh
6 Calendrier 2005: Dieux du Stade Carter Smith
7 The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown
8 Je Voudrais Que Quelqu’un M’attende Quelque Part Anna Gavalda
9 Si c’est Un Homme Primo Levi
10 Angels and Demons Dan Brown

GERMANY

1 Illuminati Dan Brown
2 Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv Sein Tod Bastian Sick
3 The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown
4 Sakrileg Dan Brown
5 Illuminati Dan Brown
6 Langenscheidt Deutsch-Frau/Frau-Deutsch Mario Barth
7 Der Kleine Prinz Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
8 Der Schwarm Frank Schätzing
9 Born to Cook Tim Mälzer
10 Die Chirurgin Tess Gerritsen

JAPAN

1 Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince JK Rowling
2 Job Guidance for 13-year-olds and all triers Ryu Murakami
3 Another Winter Sonata Kim, Eun-Hee & Yoon, Eun-Kyung
4 Fullmetal Alchemist Vol.7 Hiroshi Arakawa
5 Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui Karen Kingston
6 Noh wo Kitaeru Otonano Drill Ryuta Kawashima
7 Moetan Watanabe & Suzuki
8 Iimatsugai Ishigesato Itoi
9 Seiko sya no Kokuhaku Masanori Kanda
10 Afterdark Haruki Murakami

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