Faith and Doubt of John Betjeman: An Anthology of His Religious Verse

I'm biased, as I had Dr. Gardner as a professor years ago before he was at Baylor, but I think this is one of the better poetry books I have read in awhile. The explanatory notes are very well done, the poems are organized well, and overall, it's a very strong book. I'm enjoying going through it.

This book is an excellent introduction to the religious verse of John Betjeman and is presented in a very easy-to-read style. The book introduces each group of poems with background details and light commentary on the poems along with biographical information on the poet which helps to explain the content. The themes in the anthology include death, spiritual doubts and fears, belief, vanity and hypocrisy in the church and the church in society and include many of his most well-known poems including "Slough" and "Diary of a Church Mouse." This is an excellent book for those who want to study Betjeman's religious verse or who want to read the thoughts of one whose faith was often tested and unsure but who loved the Church of England as a vital part of England.