Inside the Enquirer: Just write a check, publish the story.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Byline: Glenn Singer

_"The Untold Story: My 20 Years Running the National Enquirer," by Iain Calder. Miramax Books 314 pages, $24.95)

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Once upon a time, Generoso Pope, the tyrant-genius who owned the National Enquirer, proposed that the Lantana, Fla.-based tabloid create its own country, perhaps on an island, where staff members could live and work together and print their own stamps and money.

"At first GP asked me about our new country almost every day, then he suddenly stopped and never mentioned the idea again," writes Iain Calder, who spent 20 years as Pope's No. 1 editor, catering to every whim of "The Boss," including searching for the Enquireland island.

Known not-so-affectionately around the office as "the ice pick," Calder, a Scotsman, has chiseled out a highly entertaining, though somewhat disorganized tale of his career _ a rise that began when he left school at age 16 and …