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Tolkien: The Secret History Of The Hobbit And The Lord Of The Rings

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Where did Tolkien find inspiration for The Hobbit?

What inspired Bilbo and Gollum’s riddle game?

Where did the idea for the One Ring - Bilbo’s ring - originate?

When did Tolkien create Middle-earth and what led to its inception?

What is the secret behind Gandalf and magic in Tolkien’s world?

Where is the real Shire and which real life locations led to Tolkien shaping this landscape?

What is the mystery behind Bilbo’s sword, Sting, and what led to Tolkien creating such magical weapons?

Which books and authors inspired Tolkien?

What are the true origins behind the Trolls and Goblins in the Hobbit?

How did Thorin’s company come to be comprised of thirteen dwarves?

These and many other secrets that lay behind Tolkien and his writing are exposed in this fascinating and thought-provoking guide. This book reveals some of the mysteries responsible for the creation of the Hobbits and Middle-earth as well as documenting fascinating secrets regarding Tolkien’s early life in the West Midlands of England that led directly to the writing of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Mark Foster and Mark Oxbrow have been unraveling and disclosing the secrets behind some of our best-loved and well-known authors for many years. In their latest book they focus on an author that has inspired them both since childhood, finally revealing their intimate knowledge about Tolkien and his many works.

84 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 16, 2012

141 people are currently reading
56 people want to read

About the author

Mark Foster

6 books9 followers
Mark Foster has published two novels; 'Everywhere But No Place' and 'The Story And The Teller' - Book 1 and Book 2 of a series titled 'Messages From The Unseen World'.

He has also co-authored four non-fiction books; 'Secrets of Dan Brown's Inferno'; 'Tolkien: The Secret History of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings'; 'An A to Z of Atlantis' and 'An A to Z of the Occult'.

Mark lives in London, UK, and divides his time between writing and running a graphic design agency.

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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Profile Image for Len Evans Jr.
1,503 reviews224 followers
June 1, 2025
Excellent!

Well presented explanations of some of the source material that Tolkien used in writing both the Hobbit and the Lord of the rings. Well done and helpful!
110 reviews1 follower
September 20, 2024
Interesting read

A good read, short and to the point. Multiple bits and pieces of information showing where JRR Tolkien may have drawn inspiration from. Worth reading if you enjoy his writing.
1,725 reviews8 followers
February 2, 2022
great background for readers of the Tolkien books

I have read the four books many times. This book offers a lot of fun background that adds to the appreciation of the books
13 reviews
December 5, 2022
Fascinating insight

This is a fascinating insight into the ways of Tolkien, his origins and sources of Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit. Well worth looking at.
Profile Image for Snufkin.
564 reviews7 followers
March 22, 2014
A brief and interesting whirlwind your of Tolkien's main influences and inspirations. Not long enough to give much detail or in-depth study, but the snippets offered can be something to personally study further. It didn't seem to 'end' well, I missed some sort of conclusion or closing remarks.
Profile Image for Rachel.
57 reviews22 followers
May 15, 2015
Sensationalist title for only containing the same information you could find in any biography of Tolkien to better effect.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews

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