The Little Book of J.R.R. Tolkien: Wit and Wisdom from the creator of Middle Earth - Hardcover

A renowned scholar of the English language, Tolkien is today celebrated as the father of the high fantasy genre. Drawing on his knowledge of languages, mythology, and legend, he created an entire alternative reality, Middle Earth, and populated it with hobbits, orcs, ents, dragons, magicians, and giant spiders.

A Celebration of Tolkien's Life and Genius

Packed with fascinating facts about Tolkien's life and labors, this delightful volume includes:

• Extracts from his works, letters, and interviews.
• Insights from his contemporaries and admirers.

It’s a celebration of the writer whose imagination and creative genius changed the course of fantasy literature.

Memorable Quotes from Tolkien

'I would rather spend one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone.'
The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)

'I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size). I like gardens, trees and unmechanized farmlands; I smoke a pipe, and like good plain food (unrefrigerated), but detest French cooking...'
Tolkien in a letter to Deborah Webster, 25 October 1958

Key Moments in Tolkien's Journey

• The Great War (July 1915):
  Tolkien took part in the Somme offensive, the bloodiest battle of the Great War. While recovering in hospital from trench fever, he wrote his first Elvish word list and the first fragments of what would become The Silmarillion.
• The Birth of The Hobbit (Summer 1930):
  The inspiration for The Hobbit came to Tolkien unexpectedly while he was working through a huge stack of student essays. On a blank page, he found himself scrawling:
  'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.'