TheauthorizedbiographyofthecreatorofMiddle-earth.InthedecadessincehisdeathinSeptember1973,millionshavereadTHEHOBBIT,THELORDOFTHERINGS,andTHESILMARILLIONandbecomefascinatedabouttheveryprivatemanbehindthebooks.BorninSouthAfricainJanuary1892,JohnRonaldReuelTolkienwasorphanedinchildhoodandbroughtupinnear-poverty.HeservedinthefirstWorldWar,survivingtheBattleoftheSomme,wherehelostmanyoftheclosestfriendshe’deverhad.Afterthewarhereturnedtotheacademiclife,achievinghighreputeasascholaranduniversityteacher,eventuallybecomingMertonProfessorofEnglishatOxfordwherehewasaclosefriendofC.S.LewisandtheotherwritersknownasTheInklings.Thensuddenlyhislifechangeddramatically.Onedaywhilegradingessaypapershefoundhimselfwriting’Inaholeinthegroundtherelivedahobbit’--andworldwiderenownawaitedhim.HumphreyCarpenterwasgivenunrestrictedaccesstoallTolkien’spapers,andinterviewedhisfriendsandfamily.FromthesesourceshefollowsthelongandpainfulprocessofcreationthatproducedTHELORDOFTHERINGSandTHESILMARILLIONandoffersawealthofinformationaboutthelifeandworkofthetwentiethcentury’smostcherishedauthor.
