Author:John Betjeman,BBC,John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman was one of the best-known and loved Poet Laureates. Even after his death, his popularity continues to garner acclaim and new admirers. Fortunately, he left behind a legacy of poetry readings and performances in the BBC archives that can be enjoyed in this comprehensive collection. Selected from over thirty years of radio and television programmes, this compilation includes the very best of his performances and the most popular of his poems, among them 'Metro-land'; 'A Subaltern’s Lovesong'; 'Diary of a Church Mouse'; 'In a Bath Teashop'; 'Pot Pourri from a Surrey Garden'; 'Youth and Age on Beaulieu River'; 'Trebetherick'; 'Myfanwy at Oxford'; 'Back from Australia' and 'Death at Leamington'.
A great concept and an interesting read ... and I'm flattered!
—— Paul WellerThis is a wonderful account of an adolescence and an obsession. It is extraordinarily frank, often painful, frequently very moving, and, above all, consistently hilarious.
—— David NobbsA charming book packed with musical nostalgia, embarrassing misadventure and formative drinking experiences. Fans of Andrew Collins and Nick Hornby will approve
—— QThe Modfather fizzes with nail-biting obsession, heartbreak and ear ticklingly funny adolescent misunderstandings
—— MOJOEnjoyably revelatory and very good fun
—— ObserverAn illuminating, very readable study of the essentially hapless, frequently humiliating and often hilarious nature of media stardom today
—— Evening StandardA thoroughly enjoyable read
—— SunEngrossing...entertaining and deeply affecting, a remembrance of a time when theatre in Britain actually mattered
—— Alan Taylor , Sunday HeraldHeilpern is sharp, gossipy and good fun, and he honours the best of Osborne without disguising the worst
—— Blake Morrison , GuardianA rip-roaring account of early struggles, huge triumphs, fraught marriages, friends and lovers abused, money wasted and, finally, health and talent evaporated
—— Jane Edwardes , Time OutBoth revelatory and disturbing. It paints a portrait of an English writer who is as complex and tormented as Evelyn Waugh
—— William Boyd , GuardianFascinating...exhaustive perusal of the playwright's formative years
—— Beryl BainbridgeClapton bares his soul. Fascinating. It's an absorbing read, like you've been granted access to a mind finally coming to terms with itself.
—— The Sunday Tribune (Ireland)Difficult to put down
—— Sunday TimesClapton provides an orderly account of life in which all other considerations are secondary to the frequently selfish needs of The Artist'
—— GuardianGold-plated tales of sex, drink, drugs and fame and moments of musical incandescence.
—— Observer Music MonthlyA warm portrait
—— FT MagazineA harrowing and searingly honest book about the unreal rock star life.
—— Daily ExpressClapton lays bare his life story in this witty but also painfully honest autobiography. Compelling and accomplished.
—— Sunday ExpressA painfully honest insider's account of an age all too often portrayed as one long party
—— Daily MailA glorious rock history.
—— New York PostThis book does what many rock historians couldn't: It debunks the legend...puts a lie to the glamour of what it means to be a rock star.
—— Greg Kot, Chicago TribuneStrong stuff. Clapton reveals its author's journey to self-acceptance and manhood. Anyone who cares about the man and his music will want to take the trip with him.
—— Anthony DcCurtis, Rolling StoneClapton is honest...even searing and often witty, with a hard-won survivor's humor...an honorable badge of a book.
—— Stephen King, New York Times Book ReviewRiveting
—— Boston HeraldAn even, unblinking sensibility defines the author's voice.
—— New York TimesAn unsparing self-portrait.
—— USA TodayBoth the youthful excesses and the current calm state are narrated with an engaging tone that nudges Clapton's story ahead of other rock'n'roll memoirs.
—— Publisher’s WeeklyClapton is a confessional, an addiction memoir, and a glorious rock history rolled into one, with a smidgeon of guilt and, ultimately redemption thrown in for good measure.
—— New York PostClapton fills in many gray areas, recounting his highs and lows with a thoughtfulness often lacking rock memoirs.Methodically he whittles away at the larger-than-life rock god until a vulnerable, messed-up mortal emerges...Clapton is an absorbing tale of artistry, decadence and redemption.It's also an important reminder of the guitarist's imprint on rock music, as a sideman, solo artist and bandleader.Not bad for a blues snob from Surrey.
—— Los Angeles TimesClapton: The Autobiography does what many rock historians couldn't: It debunks the legend, de-mythologizes one of the most mythologized electric guitarists ever, puts a lie to the glamour of what is means to be a rock star...It's a cautionary tale that spills over into tragedy several times as love, lives and talents are all wasted.
—— Chicago TribuneLike the bluesmen who inspired him, Clapton has his share of scars...his compelling memoir is... a soulful performance.
—— PeopleCharming and surprisingly candid.
—— Entertainment WeeklyAbsolutely brilliant
—— Daily Express