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John Betjeman's delightful evocation, in verse and prose, of the church and church life, gracefully rendered in 80 watercolor paintings. Now in paperback. Reading John Betjeman's writings on the church is a singular experience. No one has captured so completely that intimate world, with its clergy, congregation, architecture, and ritual. Betjeman's life was infused by a deep understanding and a very personal love of the church; he took endless pleasure in the vagaries of High and Low, and found in Christian life both inexhaustible comedy and the most profound truth. His range was complete, from eccentric chapels to High Victorian churches. In Praise of Churches brings together poems, prose, and paintings in a way that will amuse, surprise, and enlighten. The late Poet Laureate John Betjeman remains one of Britain's best-loved writers; In Praise of Churches is a perfect companion to his Illustrated Summoned by Bells. 144 pp 7 x 9 1/2 color illustrations throughout ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Buy it today
This is a wonderful collection of poems and paintings with some history thrown in for good measure.The poems are a great collection.Some amuse, some inspire, and some evoke introspection.The book is a volume of great material for the church lover.We have had the opportunity to incorporate some of the poems into worship services with much success.

amazing artistic book
This book definitely could not be a best seller as popular fictions, but it's good for all artists---if you were an architect, painter, or poet...you'll love it.It birngs together poems, prose and painting in a way that will delight, surprise and enthuse all of us. I am happy to find this book from Amazon. Two years ago, I bought a book "Graham Green Country" which is the travelling sketchbook of Paul Hogarth, I found Hogarth is a wonderful watecolour artist, I like his painting with exceptionally free style but sometimes with very neat details. So, I traced his illustrated book " In praise of Churches", in which, his 80 water colour paintingsare so impressive , vivid and delight. The author John Betjeman is famous in poem and prose. I am surprised that he is also so keen on architecture. Don't be boring about the old churches, ---in this book, it's all concerning the churches of 500 years ago---the author's lifewas infused by deep and very personal love of the churches. he said " Iknow no greater pleaseure than church crawling" ----when we are reading his note and illustrations, we will feel great fun and enjoyment and following his crawling. sometimes about the details of churches, sometimes you can findthe wonderful prose, verse, poems and hymns. I particularly like the author's notes on the architectural side of churches. First, he can vision the environment, the stone paving, the church yard, the graves,...and then about the detail artistic fittings such as door knocker, stonework,the gargoyles, altar,doorhinges,the bell, the sun dial,the lectem, the calligraphy....even the notice board!!---all those, with Hogarth's fascinating paintings! When you are entering the church, please don't forget to find out are there any artwork of your church?.....please enjoy the peaceful life with art. ... Read more

Product Description
The first volume of John Betjeman's letters covers his life from university days through to his period on the staff of "The Architectural Review" and as editor of the "Shell Guides" in the 1930s, his time as press attache in Dublin during the war, and as a broadcaster and public speaker. It was a time which established him as both an enthusiast and an authority in a wide range of literary, artistic and architectural fields. The letters written to people in the world of literature and the arts - T.S. Eliot, Cyril Connolly, Evelyn Waugh, John Piper, Kenneth Clark - often contain discourse on subjects ranging from poetry and religion to architecture and town planning. But many of them, as well as those written to family and cherished friends, including Alan Pryce-Jones, Myfanwy Piper and Nancy Mitford, are informal and often funny. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

"The Swords"& other supernatural stories
Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, Fontana published a remarkable skein of ghost story collections, piloted by R. Aikman and later by R. Chetwynd-Hayes, no mean supernatural authors themselves. Some of the paperbacks in this series, which winds its way up to the "20th Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories" are now collectors' items and worth over a hundred dollars apiece.

Robert Aickman selected ten supernatural tales for this fifth book in the series.This editor could never be accused of selecting shabbily-written tales for his book, but he tends toward 'atmospheric' rather than 'frightening' ghost stories.A perfect example of what I mean is "The Library Window" by Mrs. Oliphant--the climax builds slowly through forty-two languorous pages.If indeed, there is a climax.This book is the least interesting of the series, except perhaps for Aickman's own story, "The Swords."For one thing, there is only one ghost in the whole lot, and it does nothing but stand near a window and wave.

These are the stories in the 5th Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories:


"The Firmin Child" by Richard Blum--Tommy Firmin was an extraordinary child in that he seemed to be able to read minds.Both of his parents had secrets to hide from each other which made it rather awkward to have Tommy around.

Lord Mount Prospect by John Betjeman--A group of roguish English peers decides to form 'The Society for the Discovery of Obscure Peers."They consider themselves to be militantly charitable, but one Irish peer, Lord Mount Prospect eludes them until they make up their minds to visit him in person.

"The Library Window" by Mrs. Oliphant--A girl spends the summer with her aunt whose house is across the street from a large library.Although most people believe that one of the library windows is actually a trompe de l'oeil painting, the girl believes she can see through the window into the room beyond.Soon she can make out a gentleman who seems to be reading next to the window.

"The Dancing-Partner" by Jerome K. Jerome--A mechanical toy maker invents the perfect dancing partner for the ladies who complain that real men tromp on their feet and make insipid conversation.

"The Swords" by Robert Aickman--A young man visits a carnival side-show where audience members are encouraged to shove swords into a woman.He is manipulated into requesting a private audience with the woman, and what happens there will probably turn him celibate for life.

"The Mysterious Stranger" by Anonymous--Franziska von Fahnenberg finds herself attracted to a mysterious stranger who saved her traveling party from a pack of wolves.But why does he only visit her at night?

"A Question of Time" by Elizabeth Walter--The purchaser of an old picture of a priest seems to know too much about the man in the painting.

"Venus" by Maurice Baring--"John Fletcher was an overworked minor official in a Government office."He also leads a rather dull existence except for an occasional trip to Venus.

"Jerry Bundler" by W.W. Jacobs--The old "Boar's Head" has half a dozen guests in the nights leading up to Christmas, principally commercial travelers.In the flickering light of the hearth, they tell each other ghost stories, including the story of a man who hanged himself in that very same hotel.

"The Great Return" by Arthur Machen--Curious events seem to be taking place in and near a small church in Wales.A fox and a hound are seen playing together.Old enemies make up in the market-place.During this season of wonder "the corn shot up and the grass thickened, and the fruit was multiplied on the trees in a very marvelous manner."Machen allows the reader to draw his own conclusions about these events.
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The book reassesses the work of England's favourite poet by bringing contemporary literary theory to bear on his unique gifts of lyricism, irony and empathy. ... Read more

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Word count: 3762. ... Read more