Summoned by Bells

In the tones of Sir John himself, this autobiography in verse captures the voice of the late Poet Laureate. From his earliest boyhood memories of Highgate and Archibald, his old stuffed bear, through to his undergraduate years at Oxford and his early career, it describes the pains and pleasures of growing up.

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The late Poet Laureate John Betjeman reads his own poetic autobiography. In the much-loved tones of Sir John himself, this magnificent autobiography in verse captures the voice of the late Poet Laureate. From his earliest boyhood memories of Highgate and Archibald, his old stuffed bear, through to his undergraduate years at Oxford and his early career, John Betjeman's unique narrative style poignantly describes the pains and pleasures of growing up. 'Summoned by Bells can hardly help being a landmark...one seems to be living his childhood and boyhood with him' - Stephen Spender.