The Real JRR Tolkien
The Real JRR Tolkien

Author: Jesse Xander

Publisher: White Owl

Published: 2021-05-12

Total Pages: 237

ISBN-13: 1526765160

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This comprehensive biography of the author of The Lord of the Rings explores his life and work as a pioneering linguist and writer. In The Real J.R.R. Tolkien, biographer Jesse Xander presents a complete picture of the legendary author. Beginning with Tolkien’s formative years of home-schooling, the narrative continues through the spires of Oxford, his romance with his wife-to-be on the brink of the Great War, and onwards into his phenomenal academic success and his creation of the seminal high fantasy world of Middle Earth. This thoroughly researched biography delves into Tolkien’s influences, places, friendships, triumphs and tragedies, with particular emphasis on how his remarkable life and loves forged the worlds of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Using contemporary sources and comprehensive research, The Real JRR Tolkien offers a unique insight into the life and times of one of Britain’s greatest authors, from early life to immortal legacy.

The Real Middle-Earth
The Real Middle-Earth

Author: Michael Muhling

Publisher:

Published: 2013-04-08

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 9781922086808

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JRR Tolkien’s inspiration for his best-selling books, The Lord of the Rings, has always been a mystery. Tolkien himself stated that his ideas came to him as though they already existed, but he couldn’t name their source. For generations countless researchers and biographers have sought to identify Tolkien’s inspiration without success. Now, at last, the answer is at hand.Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia) was an ancient Christian Empire that was one of the world’s four greatest powers after the time of Christ, but it became isolated by the rise of Islam. Besieged in its highland fortress, it became a land untouched by the passage of time. It survived as the only part of Africa that was not colonized by European powers, and became internationally prominent in the years immediately prior to Tolkien’s writing because of the Italian war in 1935. Home to a 3,000 year old dynasty of kings and the horse-riding prowess of the Oromo tribe, Abyssinia’s history is rich and varied The legends of its greatest saints are unique, and around its borders it faced powerful enemies.The Real Middle-earth: The Origins of The Lord of the Rings reveals fascinating insights into Tolkien and the ancient realm of Abyssinia, and makes connections between them that will leave you astounded.About the AuthorMichael Muhling was born in Perth in 1971. He began reading The Lord of the Rings when he was ten years old, and has been a fan of Tolkien ever since. Mike subsequently became an avid reader of the fantasy genre, but Tolkien remained his favourite author because of the depth and detail in his stories.Several years ago Mike and his wife began taking a keen interest in Ethiopia, and in 2005 Mike identified the connection between Tolkien and Ethiopia (Abyssinia). Since then they have travelled to Ethiopia three times, thoroughly enjoying its history, culture and hospitality.Mike lives in Perth, Australia, with his wife and two children.

The Science of Middle-earth
The Science of Middle-earth

Author: Roland Lehoucq

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2021-04-06

Total Pages: 460

ISBN-13: 1643136178

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The surprising and illuminating look at how Tolkien's love of science and natural history shaped the creation of his Middle Earth, from its flora and fauna to its landscapes. The world J.R.R. Tolkien created is one of the most beloved in all of literature, and continues to capture hearts and imaginations around the world. From Oxford to ComiCon, the Middle Earth is analyzed and interpreted through a multitude of perspectives. But one essential facet of Tolkien and his Middle Earth has been overlooked: science. This great writer, creator of worlds and unforgettable character, and inventor of language was also a scientific autodidact, with an innate interest and grasp of botany, paleontologist and geologist, with additional passions for archeology and chemistry. Tolkien was an acute observer of flora and fauna and mined the minds of his scientific friends about ocean currents and volcanoes. It is these layers science that give his imaginary universe—and the creatures and characters that inhabit it—such concreteness. Within this gorgeously illustrated edition, a range of scientists—from astrophysicists to physicians, botanists to volcanologists—explore Tolkien’s novels, poems, and letters to reveal their fascinating scientific roots. A rewarding combination of literary exploration and scientific discovery, The Science of Middle Earth reveals the hidden meaning of the Ring’s corruption, why Hobbits have big feet, the origins of the Dwarves, the animals which inspired the dragons, and even whether or not an Ent is possible. Enhanced by superb original drawings, this transportive work will delight both Tolkien fans and science lovers and inspire us to view both Middle Earth—and our own world—with fresh eyes.

Flora of Middle-Earth
Flora of Middle-Earth

Author: Walter S. Judd

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2017-07-18

Total Pages: 425

ISBN-13: 0190276339

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Few settings in literature are as widely known or celebrated as J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. The natural landscape plays a major role in nearly all of Tolkien's major works, and readers have come to view the geography of this fictional universe as integral to understanding and enjoying Tolkien's works. And in laying out this continent, Tolkien paid special attention to its plant life; in total, over 160 plants are explicitly mentioned and described as a part of Middle-Earth. Nearly all of these plants are real species, and many of the fictional plants are based on scientifically grounded botanic principles. In Flora of Middle Earth: Plants of Tolkien's Legendarium, botanist Walter Judd gives a detailed species account of every plant found in Tolkien's universe, complete with the etymology of the plant's name, a discussion of its significance within Tolkien's work, a description of the plant's distribution and ecology, and an original hand-drawn illustration by artist Graham Judd in the style of a woodcut print. Among the over three-thousand vascular plants Tolkien would have seen in the British Isles, the authors show why Tolkien may have selected certain plants for inclusion in his universe over others, in terms of their botanic properties and traditional uses. The clear, comprehensive alphabetical listing of each species, along with the visual identification key of the plant drawings, adds to the reader's understanding and appreciation of the Tolkien canon.

Switzerland in Tolkien's Middle-Earth
Switzerland in Tolkien's Middle-Earth

Author: Martin S. Monsch

Publisher: Martin S. Monsch

Published: 2021-07-29

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 390732305X

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A journey in search of Middle-earth In 1911, at the age of nineteen, J. R. R. Tolkien embarked on an adventurous journey through the Swiss Alps; with a heavy pack, he hiked over many high passes. More than fifty years later, he mentioned in a letter to his son Michael that this trip had deeply affected him. Bilbo's journey in The Hobbit from Rivendell to the other side of the Misty Mountains, he said, was based on his own adventures in 1911. Tolkien himself named a few specific sources of inspiration, most explicitly the Silberhorn (Silverhorn). So I wondered: Was this perhaps only the tip of the iceberg? Following in Tolkien's footsteps, I myself set out into the spectacular mountain world with its stories, myths, and legends, in search of his sources of inspiration; and little by little, a vivid and mysterious world revealed itself to me: a world that helped shape Middle-earth. More than 100 color images accompany the author's research and discovery journey, along with 11 hiking and 3 road trip suggestions that allow readers to recreate Tolkien's experience with all its impressions themselves in the Swiss mountains. "This book is above all else an invitation to step into Tolkien's hiking shoes, shoulder his pack, and step back a century into a world which is as far from today as Middle-earth is from our world; a guidebook of impressions, a walking tour of the nature of imagination and the imagination of nature." - John Howe

The Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien
The Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien

Author: John Garth

Publisher: White Lion Publishing

Published: 2019-10

Total Pages: 211

ISBN-13: 0711241279

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"Every page brings forth the elegiac tone of JRR Tolkien's work... It is a beautiful book, including many wonderful pictures by Tolkien himself... Garth's book made me realise the impact that Tolkien has had on my life." The Times A lavishly illustrated exploration of the places that inspired and shaped the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, creator of Middle-earth. This new book from renowned expert John Garth takes us to the places that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien to create his fictional locations in The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and other classic works. Featuring more than 100 images, it includes Tolkien's own illustrations, contributions from other artists, archive images, maps and spectacular present-day photographs. Inspirational locations range across Great Britain - particularly Tolkien's beloved West Midlands and Oxford - but also overseas to all points of the compass. Sources are located for Hobbiton, the elven valley of Rivendell, the Glittering Caves of Helm's Deep, and many other key spots in Middle-earth, as well as for its mountain scenery, forests, rivers, lakes and shorelands. A rich interplay is revealed between Tolkien's personal travels, his wide reading and his deep scholarship as an Oxford professor. Garth uses his own profound knowledge of Tolkien's life and work to uncover the extraordinary processes of invention, to debunk popular misconceptions about the inspirations for Middle-earth, and to put forward strong new claims of his own. Organised by theme, The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien is an illustrated journey into the life and imagination of one of the world's best-loved authors, an exploration of the relationship between worlds real and fantastical, and an inspiration for anyone who wants to follow in Tolkien's footsteps.

Defending Middle-Earth
Defending Middle-Earth

Author: Patrick Curry

Publisher: HMH

Published: 2004-10-21

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 0544106563

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A scholar explores the ideas within The Lord of the Rings and the world created by J. R. R. Tolkien: “A most valuable and timely book” (Ursula K. Le Guin, Los Angeles Times–bestselling author of Changing Planes). What are millions of readers all over the world getting out of reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy? Defending Middle-earth argues, in part, that the appeal for fans goes far deeper than just quests and magic rings and hobbits. In fact, through this epic, Tolkien found a way to provide something close to spirit in a secular age. This thoughtful book focuses on three main aspects of Tolkien’s fiction: the social and political structure of Middle-earth and how the varying cultures within it find common cause in the face of a shared threat; the nature and ecology of Middle-earth and how what we think of as the natural world joins the battle against mindless, mechanized destruction; and the spirituality and ethics of Middle-earth—for which the author provides a particularly insightful and resonant examination. Includes a new afterword

The Real Middle Earth
The Real Middle Earth

Author: Brian Bates

Publisher: Macmillan + ORM

Published: 2015-02-10

Total Pages: 373

ISBN-13: 1466891092

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J.R.R. Tolkien claimed that he based the land of Middle Earth on a real place. The Real Middle Earth brings alive, for the first time, the very real civilization in which those who lived had a vision of life animated by beings beyond the material world. Magic was real to these people and they believed their universe was held together by an interlaced web of golden threads visible only to wizards. At its center was Middle Earth, a place peopled by humans, but imbued with spiritual power. It was a real realm that stretched from Old England to Scandinavia and across to western Europe, encompassing Celts, Anglo Saxons and Vikings. Looking first at the rich and varied tribes who made up the populace of this mystical land, Bates looks at how the people lived their daily lives in a world of magic and mystery. Using archaeological, historical, and psychological research, Brian Bates breathes life into this civilization of two thousand years ago in a book that every Tolkien fan will want.

The Nature of Middle-Earth
The Nature of Middle-Earth

Author: J. R. R. Tolkien

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Published: 2021

Total Pages: 467

ISBN-13: 0358454603

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It is well known that J.R.R. Tolkien published The Hobbit in 1937 and The Lord of the Rings in 1954-5. What may be less known is that he continued to write about Middle-earth in the decades that followed, right up until the years before his death in 1973. For him, Middle-earth was part of an entire world to be explored, and the writings in The Nature of Middle-earth reveal the journeys that he took as he sought to better understand his unique creation. He discusses sweeping themes as profound as Elvish immortality and reincarnation, and the Powers of the Valar, to the more earth-bound subjects of the lands and beasts of Númenor and the geography of the Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor.

Middle-earth Envisioned
Middle-earth Envisioned

Author: Brian J. Robb

Publisher:

Published: 2013-10-23

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1937994279

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Examines artistic interpretations of Tolkien's fantasy world, including movie stills, theatrical performances, games, and comic books, and features the lost art of Mary Fairburn, whose paintings were favored by Tolkien himself.