
Tolkien and the Great War
The Threshold of Middle-earth
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Narrated by:
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John Garth
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By:
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John Garth
About this listen
“To be caught in youth by 1914 was no less hideous an experience than in 1939 … by 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead.”
So J.R.R. Tolkien responded to critics who saw The Lord of the Rings as a reaction to the Second World War. Tolkien and the Great War tells for the first time the full story of how he embarked on the creation of Middle-earth in his youth as the world around him was plunged into catastrophe. This biography reveals the horror and heroism that he experienced as a signals officer in the Battle of the Somme and introduces the circle of friends who spurred his mythology to life. It shows how, after two of these brilliant young men were killed, Tolkien pursued the dream they had all shared by launching his epic of good and evil.
John Garth argues that the foundation of tragic experience in the First World War is the key to Middle-earth’s enduring power. Tolkien used his mythic imagination not to escape from reality but to reflect and transform the cataclysm of his generation. While his contemporaries surrendered to disillusionment, he kept enchantment alive, reshaping an entire literary tradition into a form that resonates to this day.
This is the first substantially new biography of Tolkien since 1977, meticulously researched and distilled from his personal wartime papers and a multitude of other sources.
©2011 John Garth (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
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Story
J.R.R. Tolkien's creations, imagination, and characters captured the attention of millions of readers. But who was the man who dreamt up the intricate languages and perfectly crafted world of Middle-earth? Tolkien had a difficult life, for many years: orphaned and poor, his guardian forbade him to communicate with the woman he had fallen in love with, and he went through the horrors of the First World War. An intensely private and brilliant scholar, he spent over 50 years working on the languages, history, peoples, and geography of Middle-earth,
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Very insightful
- By Luke B. on 10-27-20
By: Colin Duriez
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A Rare Recording of J. R. R. Tolkien
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Length: 42 mins
- Original Recording
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J. R. R. Tolkien was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor best known as the author of fantasy works like "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings." Listen as Tolkien reads "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil," "The Hoard," "Perry-The-Winkle," and "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon." Also included is a reading of "A Elbereth Gilthoniel" in Elvish and "The Road Goes Ever on," sung by William Elvin with music by Donald Swann.
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Not all Tolkien - wish I'd noticed that
- By Tracet on 04-21-15
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Terry Jones
- Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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A collection of three medieval English poems, translated by Tolkien for the modern-day reader and containing romance, tragedy, love, sex and honour.
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An absolute delight!
- By Shannon Slee on 07-15-18
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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Tales from the Perilous Realm
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Combined into one volume, this is the definitive collection of Tolkien's five acclaimed modern classic 'fairie' tales in the vein of The Hobbit, read by Derek Jacobi. The five tales are written with the same skill, quality and charm that made The Hobbit a classic. Largely overlooked because of their short lengths, they are joined here in one volume which reaffirms Tolkien's place as a master storyteller for listeners young and old.
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Enjoyable Tolkien short stories
- By Linda Luella on 03-28-17
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
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The Fellowship
- The Literary LIves of the Inklings: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams
- By: Philip Zaleski, Carol Zaleski
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 26 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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C. S. Lewis is the 20th century's most widely read Christian writer and J. R. R. Tolkien its most beloved mythmaker. For three decades they and their closest associates formed a literary club known as the Inklings, which met weekly in Lewis' Oxford rooms and a nearby pub. They read aloud from works in progress, argued about anything that caught their fancy, and gave one another invaluable companionship, inspiration, and criticism.
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If You Love Literature...
- By Ray M on 07-14-16
By: Philip Zaleski, and others
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The Fall of Gondolin
- By: Christopher Tolkien, J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Timothy West, Samuel West
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Gondolin, beautiful but undiscoverable, is central to the enmity of two of the greatest powers in the world. Morgoth of the uttermost evil seeks in vain to discover the marvellously hidden city of his Elven enemies, while the gods in Valinor refuse to support Ulmo Lord of Waters' designs to protect it. Into this world comes Tuor, cousin of Túrin, and guided unseen by Ulmo he sets out on the fearful journey to Gondolin to warn them of their coming doom.
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Feels like a research paper
- By D. Limback on 03-18-20
By: Christopher Tolkien, and others
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The Fall of Númenor
- And Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle-Earth
- By: J.R.R. Tolkien, Brian Sibley - editor
- Narrated by: Samuel West, Brian Sibley
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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J.R.R. Tolkien famously described the Second Age of Middle-earth as a ‘dark age, and not very much of its history is (or need be) told’. And for many years readers would need to be content with the tantalizing glimpses of it found within the pages of The Lord of the Rings and its appendices, including the forging of the Rings of Power, the building of the Barad-dûr and the rise of Sauron.
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A dry compilation of old material, minus images
- By SC on 11-12-22
By: J.R.R. Tolkien, and others
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Beren and Lúthien
- By: Christopher Tolkien, J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Timothy West, Samuel West
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, was deeply opposed to Beren, and imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. Undaunted by Lord Thingol’s challenge, Beren and Lúthien embark on the supremely heroic attempt to rob Morgoth, the greatest of all evil beings, of a Silmaril, one of the hallowed jewels that adorn the Black Enemy’s crown.
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very disappointing
- By Ms. Rhiannon on 07-02-20
By: Christopher Tolkien, and others
What listeners say about Tolkien and the Great War
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- Anonymous User
- 08-04-19
Finally understood Tolkien movie
Well written and researched for non-LOTR experts. Perspective on WW1 relevance today is critical for fans.
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- Culpie
- 12-11-16
Enjoyed the insight
Very interesting to get a deeper look into the great War and it's effect on JRR. Very much enjoyed this book!
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- J. Matthew Melton
- 05-29-15
A touching and revealing narrative
John Garth's reading of his book strikes perfect notes in the moving story of Tolkien and the other brilliant young minds who went to war in 1914. The fall of each of his friends resounds and echoes in Tolkien's own heartrending creations. Garth's recounting of the intimate details of how the War experience shaped Tolkien's work is itself a work of painstaking craftsmanship. His reading is remarkably suited to his subject. Superb.
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- Go Steelers
- 09-16-23
Enlightening for anyone who loves Lord of the Rings
This book has a laser focus on JRR Tolkien’s youth, his early friendships and his service in World War I. The author examines those alongside his writings from that period, in which elements of the Rings saga begin to appear. He does not stray much beyond those topics, so if you are looking for an examination of, say, how Tolkien’s Catholic faith is subtly woven into the stories, you will need to look elsewhere.
This book goes into depth and detail on his early writings, an overview which could be overwhelming in places for those who are unfamiliar with the Silmarillion opus, but those readers should still find this book worthwhile. It delineates war experiences that profoundly shaped the worldview of TLOTR (and I found the insight on Sam Gamgee particularly interesting). It also looks at writings that are mostly unknown today, but that reveal a more whimsical fantasy universe than the one that ultimately emerged in the Silmarillion.
Although I have loved TLOTR since the 70s, I came across this book while searching for reading to prepare for a tour of World War I battlefields. I would commend it as a valuable introduction to anyone who wants to understand that experience from an ordinary soldier’s perspective. I found particularly valuable the author’s comparison of TLOTR with other post-war literature, in which he indicated that many soldiers were deeply offended by widely accepted view that there had been nothing heroic or redeeming in their service.
In short, this book makes a multifaceted contribution to understanding both Tolkien and the impact of World War I.
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- Justa Guy
- 03-13-23
Moving
This book moved me nearly to tears for men who have been dead more than a hundred years, and moved me to rage at those who wasted so much of Europe for nothing. I learned to appreciate Tolkien in new ways.
Generally, I’m leery of authors who read their own work. Rare indeed is one both an excellent writer and reader both. John Garth is an exception. Listen to the sample to see what I mean.
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- Anonymous User
- 01-16-24
A fascinating insight!
Excellent biography, focused on the war years, though John Garth also does a good job of contextualising the 1914-1918 period and walking the reader (or listener— the audiobook is very well produced, read by the author himself!) through Tolkien’s creation and the history of Middle-Earth, as it relates to Tolkien’s life.
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- Wes
- 04-26-18
I enjoyed every minute!
Part biography. Part literary analysis. John Garth is a brilliant scholar. He has a deep understanding of Tolkien and his scholarship and literature.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Katie Archambeault
- 08-06-18
Tolkien and the Great War
An enlightening read into the life and and experiences of Tolkien. It is well worth your time to read this and to have a greater appreciation for his works.
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- bruce kittrick
- 07-26-23
Depth. Insight. Many thanks
This serious study helps me understand why Tolkien had such a huge influence on my generation. It capsulizes the view of the uselessness of war contrasted with the deep recognition that to live a good life one must fight evil. Reminds me of a conversation between Arjuna and Krishna.
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- E.F.B.
- 08-03-18
Excellent biography!
Note: I decided to pair the physical copy of this book with the audio version and found reading and listening at the same time was very helpful in keeping my focus and helping me progress through this book without getting slowed down or distracted. The author of the book actually narrates the audiobook, which is something I always really enjoy.
An excellent read for this Tolkien fan!
This being non-fiction, and me not reading non-fiction nearly as much as fiction, I’m always a little unsure how to write my review. I guess I’ll start by saying that I thought it was very well-written, well-researched, well-paced, and interesting enough that I never once got bored or wanted to skip ahead even though I already knew some of the information being conveyed. There were some new things too, though, such as more details about the TCBS (a close-knit group of friends and writing critique partners Tolkien was a part of in his college days) than I ever knew before and enjoyed learning. I also loved that the author included excerpts of Tolkien’s poetry where appropriate to make points and show how Tolkien’s writings developed over time, and I very much enjoyed reading them and discovering his inspiration for them.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable non-fiction read for me and I happily give it 5 stars.
I would recommend this book both to long time Tolkien fans who are curious about his life, especially his experiences in WWI and their influence on his writings, and to people who are new fans, or maybe not even fans at all, but are still curious about this well-known person and his life. You don’t necessarily have to have read any, much less all of Tolkien’s works in order to get something from this book (though knowing at least some of his works will certainly add depth to what you learn here) as the author tells the audience just as much as is needed in order to show what he’s wanting to show.
Content advisory: I personally would recommend this book for ages 12+ simply because of how intellectual it is and the fact that, unless they were very curious and at an advanced reading level, children younger than that simply probably wouldn’t be interested in a book like this or be able to fully comprehend it to appreciate it. Otherwise, there is very little content of concern for younger readers.
Language: One instance of the word d****d in a brief quote from Tolkien. I don’t recall any other swear words.
Violence: There is talk of war and combat throughout, but the author keeps it very matter-of-fact, never going into icky detail, while still communicating what happened in various battles and such.
Worldviews: Again, the author simply reports the facts and doesn’t give his own opinion on things.
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7 people found this helpful