A new biography exploring JRR Tolkien's wartime experiences and their impact on his life and his writing of 'The Lord Of The Rings'.
The period of Tolkien's life in which he fought in The Great War has remained largely unexplored and unresearched by his many and various biographers. This volume concentrates specifically on this period life and relates it to his creation of some of the world's best-loved literary works.
Written specifically for a general audience, not just Tolkien fans, this book allows Tolkien's life, work, inspiration and success to be viewed from a new and exciting viewpoint.
Tolkien spent time as a signaller in the Royal Lancashire Fusiliers during World War I and lost many friends from school and university in the tragedy. This had a profound impact on him, as did, it seems, the writing of GB Smith, a close friend who was also sadly lost in the war.
Invalided home from the Somme, Tolkien was able to reflect on his life, and John Garth argues that, far from being a flight of fancy, 'The Lord Of The Rings' is, in fact, a product of his wartime experiences and stands as a great war novel.
