Hooray! You have added the first book to your bookshelf. Check it out now!
[−]
  • Search Digit-count Valid ISBN Invalid ISBN Valid Barcode Invalid Barcode
Blog this item

J.R.R. Tolkien

A Biography

By Humphrey Carpenter

(15)

| Paperback | 9780618057023

Like J.R.R. Tolkien?
Join aNobii to see if your friends read it, and discover similar books!

Sign up for free

Book Description

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, JohnContinue

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.

Critics

  • Favourite Subjects

    It is probable that J.R.R. Tolkien was throughout his life a copious correspondent, but he appears to have been in his midforties before people took to preserving what he had addressed to them. Even so, Humphrey Carpenter has found that ‘an immense n ... (read full critics)

    lrb published on Sun, 5 Sep 2010

1 Review

Login or Sign Up to write a review

Book Details

  • Rating:
    (15)
    • 5 stars
    • 4 stars
    • 3 stars
    • 2 stars
    • 1 star
  • English Books
  • Paperback 304 Pages
  • Edition: 1st Houghton Mifflin Pbk. Ed
  • ISBN-10: 0618057021
  • ISBN-13: 9780618057023
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
  • Pub date: Jun 01, 2000
  • Dimensions: 1355 mm x 903 mm x 129 mm Just how big is that?
  • Also available as: Hardcover, School & Library Binding and Others
Improve data of this book

Prices Change currency & sellers

ISBN Edition List Sale Seller
9780618057023 Paperback $15.95 $13.63 bn.com
$15.95 $10.49 The Book Depository
Other editions →
Added to Shelf Added to Wish List

Inline Translation Mode

Left click to navigate, right click to translate.

inline translation guide

or close

Inline translation is not ready for this page yet.

Inline translation mode.

Share this page with your friends.

The viewport has not loaded.