J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography

(Paperback)

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The original authorised biography, and the only one written by an author who actually met J.R.R. Tolkien, reissued to mark Tolkiens 125th Anniversary.
In more than 40 years since Tolkiens 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 Bloemfontein in January 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was orphaned in childhood, brought up in near-poverty and almost thwarted in adolescent romance. He served in the First World War, surviving the Battle of the Somme, where he lost some of his closest friends, and returned to academic life, achieving high repute as a scholar and university teacher, eventually becoming Merton Professor of English at Oxford.

Then suddenly his life changed dramatically. One day while marking 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 Tolkiens papers, and interviewed his friends and family. From these sources he follows the long and painful process of creation that produced The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion and offers a wealth of information about the life and work of the twentieth centurys most cherished author.

Reviews

One of the most interesting and readable biographies of a literary figure. The Times

The story is rich and beautifully told. Sunday Times

Absolutely fascinating. Daily Mail

A painstaking and often moving account. Times Literary Supplement

Humphrey Carpenters plain, unvarnished tale is absolutely gripping. Times Literary Supplement

Author Bio

Humphrey Carpenter was born in Oxford in 1946 and has spent most of his life in that city. He read English Language and Literature at Keble College, Oxford, and met Professor J.R.R. Tolkien on a number of occasions. For some years he worked for the BBC as a radio producer and broadcaster and has won acclaim as a top biographer, including the recent and controversial biography of Robert Runcie.