England's Best Loved Poems: The Enchantment of England

by George Courtauld

This treasure trove of very British poetry brings together over 100 classic poems, selected by bestselling author and proud patriot George Courtauld. Including national favourites such as Rupert Brooke's 'The Soldier', George Herbert's 'Love' and John Betjeman's 'A Subaltern's Love Song' these are poems chosen for their resonant power, nostalgia and simplicity. Following themes such as bravery and fellowship, love and regret, and people and places, this charming collection is a pleasure to dip into. And with lesser-known poems by the likes of Emily Bronte, Winston Churchill and Sir Walter Raleigh, this inspiring anthology offers more than the average poetry book. The author places each poem in its historical context, gives a potted biography of each poet and offers his own personal interpretation of the words and themes. This wonderful and original collection will enchant poetry lovers everywhere.

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 29, 2010

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent selection of English poetry. And I appreciated Courtauld’s introductory notes to each poem, giving biographical and personal context to each poem. However I was disappointed with the rather-too-strong theme of patriotism which runs through the selection. I suppose I should have paid more attention to the subtitle on the front cover “author of the Pocket Book of Patriotism”!