John Betjeman, appointed Poet Laureate in 1972, is celebrated as the best loved poet of the twentieth century. His subtle blend of wit and melancholia, affection and criticism continues to attract an ever-expanding readership. From beneath his sparkling wit and deceptively simple nostalgia, Betjeman emerges as the authority on a broad range of subjects from conservation and church architecture to tradition and Englishness.
In this selection of his greatest poetry and prose, cherished classics such as Slough, Pot Pourri from a Surrey Garden and A Subaltern’s Love-song sit beside rare gems like Metro-land, Betjeman’s critically acclaimed film script.
In this selection of his greatest poetry and prose, cherished classics such as Slough, Pot Pourri from a Surrey Garden and A Subaltern’s Love-song sit beside rare gems like Metro-land, Betjeman’s critically acclaimed film script.
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Reviews
Betjeman is perhaps as completely original a writer as has ever existed
'This "best of", which shows just why Betjeman came to be regarded with more affection than any other poet of the 20th century, lives up to the claim with a selection of his greatest poetry and prose'
'Who could ever tire of the amusing and poignant pictures he painted in verses...'
His humour is remarkably versatile, for it can be used to serve both his deepest love and his most remorseless hatred
His poems spring from what he really feels about real life, and as a result he brings back to poetry a sense of dramatic urgency it had all but lost