Betjeman's England
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'Betjeman chronicles the English way of life in exquisite, affectionate and often hilarious detail' -- Independent 'Betjeman was an original and a star' -- Daily Mail 'Remarkable collection ... this is a real treat for any fan of Betjeman, and a testament to Games's remarkable research and reconstruction' -- Sunday Telegraph 'Games has supplied an informative introduction ... Betjeman misxing charm and intimacy' -- Daily Express 'The extracts published here capture the spirit and charm of the broadcasts and the places he explored for the camera years ago that can still be enjoyed today' -- Daily Express Betjeman combines sly humour with a deep love of Englishness' -- Spectator 'Striking package to match the previous collections in this series' -- Bookseller 'Always thoughtful, always eloquent writing' -- Robert Elms Podcast 'The real joy of this book is the chance to remember Betjeman's keen eye, sense of fun and turn of phrase' -- Choice Magazine 'A new book out that proves a treasure house ... reader will, I'm sure, enjoy Betjeman's poems about his strolls through London ... an essential gazetteer to the attractive landmarks of dear old England of yesteryear' -- Kent on Sunday
Product Description
For more than half a century, Betjeman's writings have awakened readers to the intimacy of English places - from the smell of gaslight in suburban churches, to the hissing of backwash on a shingle beach. Betjeman is England's greatest topologist: whether he's talking about a townhall or a teashop, he gets to the nub of what makes unexpected places unique. This new collection of his writings, arranged geographically, offers an essential gazetteer to the physical landmarks of Betjeman Country. A new addition to the popular series of Betjeman anthologies, following on from Trains and Buttered Toast and Tennis Whites and Teacakes, this is a treasure trove for any Betjeman fan and for anyone with a love for the rare, curious and unique details of English life.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
First off, it's worth explaining what this book is. It's an anthology of scripts that Betjeman produced for various short TV documentaries, chiefly from the 1950s and 1960s. Most haven't been published before, and many of the original programmes are either lost or may only exist on VHS. This is worth noting, as 'Betjeman's England' is a rather vague wishy-washy title.
Amongst the observations in Stephen Games' excellent 30-page introduction are the fact that his early work tended to be delivered in a rather high-pitched dictatorial style, whilst his later work was more meditative in tone. I particularly liked the comment about his tendency to date objects along the lines of "18th century I should think", implying a instinctual approach to architecture, rather than the more precise 'Pevsner method'.
The introduction gives an overview of Betjeman's early TV work, which was fitful to say the least. Attitudes to him (then as now) were rather mixed, with the BBC rather wary of him, despite the fact that he was a frequent contributor to radio programming. As a result, much of his earlier TV work was done for independent television, such as the documentaries made with Jonathan Stedall for TWW in the early 60s, reissued as 'The Lost Betjemans'. I have to say I'm not totally sure whether the scripts work without the visuals - it's hard to read the scripts without being distracted by one's memories of the original documentaries. Stephen Games has added occasional pointers to what the viewers would have seen, but only where necessary. However, all the footnotes added show that this is a thoroughly researched anthology, perhaps only of interest to Betjemaniacs, but still a worthy addition to the growing number of books about Betjeman's multi-faceted work.
Amongst the observations in Stephen Games' excellent 30-page introduction are the fact that his early work tended to be delivered in a rather high-pitched dictatorial style, whilst his later work was more meditative in tone. I particularly liked the comment about his tendency to date objects along the lines of "18th century I should think", implying a instinctual approach to architecture, rather than the more precise 'Pevsner method'.
The introduction gives an overview of Betjeman's early TV work, which was fitful to say the least. Attitudes to him (then as now) were rather mixed, with the BBC rather wary of him, despite the fact that he was a frequent contributor to radio programming. As a result, much of his earlier TV work was done for independent television, such as the documentaries made with Jonathan Stedall for TWW in the early 60s, reissued as 'The Lost Betjemans'. I have to say I'm not totally sure whether the scripts work without the visuals - it's hard to read the scripts without being distracted by one's memories of the original documentaries. Stephen Games has added occasional pointers to what the viewers would have seen, but only where necessary. However, all the footnotes added show that this is a thoroughly researched anthology, perhaps only of interest to Betjemaniacs, but still a worthy addition to the growing number of books about Betjeman's multi-faceted work.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
What a quaint little book this is,basically its a compendium of scripts from Betjemin's early TV work,based on his travels around Britain looking and talking about old historic buildings,& how they could be presented to TV audiances in the 50s & 60s,i enjoyed it,good bed time reading...
0 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ordered as a used book although it had never been opened, just a grubby mark on the back dust cover, very good value.
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