Bevis Hillier

The Biography

John Betjeman

John Betjeman was without question the most popular poet of the twentieth century and his poems have been bought and read by millions. He opened eyes to what before him had seemed ordinary, but is now unforgettable. There is no poet remotely like him and this first volume of Bevis Hillier's authoritative biography grants an exceptional insight to the life and times of the nation's best loved poet.

Young Betjeman

Art Deco of the 20s and 30s

Minneapolis Institute of Arts

The World of Art Deco

100 Years of Posters

The Decorative Arts of the Forties and Fifties

Austerity Binge

The Wit and Wisdom of G K Chesterton

John Betjeman, appointed Poet Laureate in 1972, is celebrated as the most remarkable, most widely read and best loved poet of the twentieth century. Bevis Hillier's 'awe-inspiring' and 'enthralling' biography fascinatingly recalls Betjeman's extraordinary character. In this final volume, Betjeman is at the height of his fame, universally adopted as Teddy Bear to the Nation. By now he is known not just as a poet, but as a television personality too. He is also the essential public face of conservation, fighting - not always with great efficiency or success - to save our heritage. We live with him the triumph of Summoned by Bells, his richly emotional autobiography in verse, but also follow his tribulations as Poet Laureate, despairingly in search of inspiration in the bombastic events of royal and public life. Perhaps least expected of all is the pleasure he found in Banana Blush, the poems he recorded to the music of Jim Parker. As before, Bevis Hillier reveals the origins of Betjeman's most loved poems; brings to life his loves, hates and enthusiasms; and shows the role that friendship and laughter played in his life.

The Bonus of Laughter

Betjeman

John Betjeman was without question the most popular poet of the twentieth century and his poems have been bought and read by millions. He opened eyes to what before him had seemed ordinary but is now unforgettable. This rich biography of Betjeman's life is full of entertaining anecdotes, yet uncovers too the insecurities underlying his wistful humour. Bevis Hillier has created a delightful book, which will constantly surprise its reader.

New Fame, New Love

This biography takes the reader from Betjeman's troubled childhood in north London, through his blossoming at Oxford; a gay fling with W. H. Auden; a clandestine marriage to a field marshal's daughter; pranks as a film critic; wartime service and probable espionage in Ireland, to the glory days of his later years when his Collected Poems became a runaway bestseller. This book is a distillation of Bevis Hillier's three-volume biography, authorized by Betjeman himself.

Bevis Hillier

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