Summoned By Bells A Life In Verse cover art

Summoned By Bells A Life In Verse

A Life in Verse

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Summoned By Bells A Life In Verse

By: John Betjeman
Narrated by: John Betjeman
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £7.99

Buy Now for £7.99

Only £0.99 a month for the first 3 months. Pay £0.99 for the first 3 months, and £8.99/month thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Start my membership

About this listen

 In the famous tones of Sir John himself this magnificent autobiography in verse 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

©2008 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2008 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Art & Literature Authors European Literary History & Criticism Poetry World Literature

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Betjeman's Britain cover art
Tennis Whites and Teacakes cover art
Northanger Abbey cover art
Seamus Heaney III Collected Poems (published 1996-2010) cover art
The History of English Poetry cover art
All stars
Most relevant
Probably not for younger generations. I am racing up to 80, 2y one month to go! Must catch up with today's poetry!

Memories of years even before my time!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Hearing Betjemans voice was a treat. He had a great talent but seemed to just muddle through

The descriptive language

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What a treat to hear John Betjeman reading his verse early autobiography summoned by bells (no 'the' as per the Audible name) A gentle enjoyable relaxing listen which made me smile.

A beautiful listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very special. Wonderfully constructed and read.
As if Betjeman is back with us. A treat that can be revised time-over.

Incomperable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.