Books by John Betjeman
Collected Poems
by John Betjeman
Betjeman conjured up an Englishness that nobody else has. He combined an evocation of England with a command of ordinary human emotions.
Summoned by Bells
by John Betjeman
This is his verse autobiography. Most people write about buildings in a very, very dry way – ‘There’s a buttress from 1490’ – but he does it in a much more human way, like he’ll talk in the same way about them as he does about the girls he loves or his great friends.
Interviews where books by John Betjeman were recommended
The best books on British Buildings, recommended by Harry Mount
Bestselling author Harry Mount thinks that the British sell themselves short when they fail to appreciate their architecture. He also expresses his thanks that Christopher Wren didn’t redesign London on a Parisian/New York grid system following the 1666 fire.
The best books on Britishness, recommended by Matthew Engel
Britain is a bewilderingly motley nation of phlegmatic grumblers, says the author and editor Matthew Engel – a seaside resort-going, class-conscious people haunted by loss of empire, and we can’t even agree on what the country is called
