War and the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780313325922)

J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the world's most beloved authors, was a World War I signaling officer who survived the Battle of the Somme, and two of his sons served during World War II.

Such experiences and events led Tolkien to a complex attitude toward war and military leadership, the themes of which find their way into his most important writings. His fiction, criticism, and letters demonstrate a range of attitudes that would change over the course of his life. In the end, his philosophy on human nature and evil, and the inevitability of conflict, would appear to be pragmatic and rational, if regretful and pessimistic. Croft explores the different aspect of Tolkien's relationship with war both in his life and in his work from the early Book of Lost Tales to his last story Smith of Wootten Major, and concentrating on his greatest and most well-known works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This valuable consideration of war in the life of Tolkien is essential reading for all readers interested in deepening their understanding of this great writer.

Author: Janet Brennan Croft
ISBN-10: 0313325928
ISBN-13: 9780313325922
Publisher: Praeger
Language: English
Published: 06/30/2004
Pages: 175
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.98lbs
Size: 9.54h x 6.02w x 0.80d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 01/01/2005 pg. 851