BETJEMAN, John — High and Low

London: John Murray, 1966. High and Low" - Betjeman at His Most Characteristically English An Inscribed Copy of a Late Collection by the Poet Laureate BETJEMAN, John. High and Low. London: John Murray, [1966]. First edition, inscribed on the front free endpaper: "Inscribed for / Mrs G. Watson / John Betjeman / 1971." Small octavo (7 5/16 x 4 3/8 inches; 181 x 111 mm.). x, [1-2], 3-81, [3, blank] pp. Publisher's original yellow cloth, spine lettered in gilt. In the original pink dust jacket printed in black and white, spine faded, with minor wear at extremities. A very fine copy in a good dust jacket. A late collection by John Betjeman, later Poet Laureate, whose verse - by turns affectionate, ironic, and gently satirical - captures the textures of English life with unmatched charm. High and Low continues Betjeman's lifelong preoccupation with architecture, memory, and the quiet absurdities of modernity, expressed in a style at once accessible and metrically accomplished. Inscribed copies of Betjeman's works are increasingly sought, particularly those dated after his elevation to national prominence. The present inscription, made in 1971 - the year before he was appointed Poet Laureate - places it at a moment when his reputation was at its height and still ascending. The notoriously delicate pink dust jacket is prone to fading, as here; copies retaining bright color are uncommon. .