The authorized biography of the creator of Middle-earth. In the decades since his death in September 1973, millions have read THE HOBBIT, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and THE SILMARILLION and become fascinated about the very private man behind the books.
Born in South Africa in January 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was orphaned in childhood and brought up in near-poverty. He served in the first World War, surviving the Battle of the Somme, where he lost many of the closest friends he'd ever had. After the war he returned to the academic life, achieving high repute as a scholar and university teacher, eventually becoming Merton Professor of English at Oxford where he was a close friend of C.S. Lewis and the other writers known as The Inklings.
Then suddenly his life changed dramatically. One day while grading essay papers he found himself writing 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit' -- and worldwide renown awaited him.
Humphrey Carpenter was given unrestricted access to all Tolkien's papers, and interviewed his friends and family. From these sources he follows the long and painful process of creation that produced THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE SILMARILLION and offers a wealth of information about the life and work of the twentieth century's most cherished author.
| Part One A visit |
|
11 | (4) |
| Part Two 1892--1916: Early years |
|
15 | (80) |
|
|
|
17 | (8) |
|
|
|
25 | (14) |
|
`Private-lang.' -- and Edith |
|
|
39 | (13) |
|
|
|
52 | (8) |
|
|
|
60 | (9) |
|
|
|
69 | (11) |
|
|
|
80 | (8) |
|
The breaking of the fellowship |
|
|
88 | (7) |
| Part Three 1917--1925: The making of a mythology |
|
95 | (22) |
|
|
|
97 | (10) |
|
|
|
107 | (3) |
|
|
|
110 | (7) |
| Part Four 1925--1949(i): `In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit' |
|
117 | (60) |
|
|
|
119 | (8) |
|
|
|
127 | (9) |
|
`He had been inside language' |
|
|
136 | (11) |
|
|
|
147 | (9) |
|
|
|
156 | (8) |
|
|
|
164 | (13) |
| Part Five 1925--1949(ii): The Third Age |
|
177 | (32) |
|
|
|
179 | (8) |
|
|
|
187 | (22) |
| Part Six 1949--1966: Success |
|
209 | (26) |
|
|
|
211 | (6) |
|
|
|
217 | (5) |
|
|
|
222 | (13) |
| Part Seven 1959--1973: Last years |
|
235 | (24) |
|
|
|
237 | (11) |
|
|
|
248 | (6) |
|
|
|
254 | (5) |
| Part Eight The Tree |
|
259 | (21) |
| Appendix |
|
|
A Simplified genealogical table |
|
|
262 | (1) |
|
|
|
263 | (3) |
|
C The published writings of J.R.R. Tolkien |
|
|
266 | (10) |
|
D Sources and acknowledgements |
|
|
276 | (4) |
| Index |
|
280 | |
Tolkien's works have continually managed to remain popular. But anyone who recently caught the Internet-exclusive first scenes from director Peter Jackson's forthcoming live-action feature The Lord of the Rings knows that all the orcs in Isengard won't be able to keep new and old fans from tearing everything Tolkien-related off library shelves once this film hits theaters in 2001 (remember where you heard it first). Start gathering these titles early, beginning with Carpenter's 1977 biography and 1981 collection of Tolkien's letters now with a newly expanded index. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
Carpenter's 1977 biography offers a broad look at the Oxford don, who lived a relatively quiet life. This also details his close friendship with C.S Lewis. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Shopping Cart
