J.R.R. Tolkien

"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on the 3rd January, 1892 at Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State, but at the age of four he and his brother were taken back to England by their mother. After his father's death the family moved to Sarehole, on the south-eastern edge of Birmingham. Tolkien spent a happy childhood in the countryside and his sensibility to the rural landscape can clearly be seen in his writing and his pictures.

His mother died when he was only twelve and both he and his brother were made wards of the local priest and sent to King Edward's School, Birmingham, where Tolkien shone in his classical work. After completing a First in English Language and Literature at Oxford, Tolkien married Edith Bratt. He was also commissioned in the Lancashire Fusiliers and fought in the battle of the Somme. After the war, he obtained a post on the New English Dictionary and began to write the mythological and legendary cycle which he originally called The Book of Lost Tales but which eventually became known as The Silmarillion.

In 1920 Tolkien was appointed Reader in English Language at the University of Leeds which was the beginning of a distinguished academic career culminating with his election as Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford. Meanwhile Tolkien wrote for his children and told them the story of The Hobbit. It was his publisher, Stanley Unwin, who asked for a sequel to The Hobbit and gradually Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings, a huge story that took twelve years to complete and which was not published until Tolkien was approaching retirement. After retirement Tolkien and his wife lived near Oxford, but then moved to Bournemouth. Tolkien returned to Oxford after his wife's death in 1971. He died on 2 September 1973 leaving The Silmarillion to be edited for publication by his son, Christopher.

What are J.R.R. Tolkien's most important or well-known books?

His best-known works include The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King). Important companion and posthumous works include The Silmarillion, The Children of Hurin, The Fall of Gondolin and other collections edited after his death.

What genre does Tolkien write in and what themes recur in his work?

Tolkien is a foundational writer of high fantasy and mythic literature. Recurring themes include myth and legend, heroism and sacrifice, the natural world, loss and nostalgia, and the moral complexity of power.

What is a good reading order for Tolkien's Middle-earth books?

A common approach is to read The Hobbit first, then The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and afterwards explore The Silmarillion and the posthumous collections (for example The Children of Hurin, The Fall of Gondolin and other histories) for the deeper First and Second Age background.

Are there illustrated, deluxe or boxed editions of Tolkien's works available?

Yes. Many of Tolkien's works have illustrated editions, deluxe slipcased editions and boxed sets, including illustrated versions of The Hobbit and The Silmarillion and various boxed Lord of the Rings collections.

Was The Silmarillion finished and published by Tolkien himself?

The Silmarillion was not published in finished form during Tolkien's lifetime. It was compiled and edited for publication after his death by his son Christopher Tolkien, who also edited several other posthumous collections and histories.