J.R.R. Tolkien : Author of the Century

The definitive critical study of Tolkien's greatest works and a timely companion to the world of Middle-earth. The core of the book examines Tolkien's novels as linguistic maps with meaning and myth, and products of Tolkien's experiences as a combat veteran and artist.

Recent polls have consistently declared that J.R.R. Tolkien is "the most influential author of the century," and The Lord of the Rings is "the book of the century." In support of these claims, the prominent medievalist and scholar of fantasy Professor Tom Shippey now presents us with a fascinating companion to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, focusing in particular on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.

The core of the book examines The Lord of the Rings as a linguistic and cultural map and as a response to the meaning of myth. It presents a unique argument to explain the nature of evil and also gives the reader a compelling insight into the unparalleled level of skill necessary to construct such a rich and complex story.

Shippey also examines The Hobbit, explaining the hobbits' anachronistic relationship to the heroic world of Middle-earth, and shows the fundamental importance of The Silmarillion to the canon of Tolkien's work. He offers as well an illuminating look at other, lesser-known works in their connection to Tolkien's life.

Author Biography: Professor Tom Shippey, the author of The Road to Middle-earth, taught at Oxford at the same time as Professor Tolkien and later used the same syllabus, which gave him an intimate familiarity with the poems and languages that were a primary stimulus to Tolkien's imagination.

He subsequently held the chair of English language and medieval literature at the University of Leeds, which Tolkien held early in his career, and he currently holds the Walter J. Ong Chair of Humanities at St. Louis University in Missouri.