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J. R. R. Tolkien: A Life from Beginning to End
Discover the remarkable life of J. R. R. Tolkien...
Free BONUS Inside!
J. R. R. Tolkien, an orphan in love with words, spent most of his life as an unassuming Professor of Literature at Oxford studying and teaching old languages. During his time there, he created his very own languages and a mythological world, Middle-earth. Middle-earth was inhabited by Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and other fascinating creatures. It was a world that became almost more real to Tolkien than the one he lived in.
Tolkien’s two masterpieces, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, have set the standard in mythological literature. Translated into more than 70 languages, the books and their battles of good and evil are as relevant today as they were when Tolkien first wrote them.
Discover a plethora of topics such as
From South Africa to the English Countryside Tolkien’s Forbidden Love Tolkien during World War I Years at Oxford The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Late Life and Death And much more! So if you want a concise and informative book on J. R. R. Tolkien, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access!
Free BONUS Inside!
J. R. R. Tolkien, an orphan in love with words, spent most of his life as an unassuming Professor of Literature at Oxford studying and teaching old languages. During his time there, he created his very own languages and a mythological world, Middle-earth. Middle-earth was inhabited by Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and other fascinating creatures. It was a world that became almost more real to Tolkien than the one he lived in.
Tolkien’s two masterpieces, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, have set the standard in mythological literature. Translated into more than 70 languages, the books and their battles of good and evil are as relevant today as they were when Tolkien first wrote them.
Discover a plethora of topics such as
From South Africa to the English Countryside Tolkien’s Forbidden Love Tolkien during World War I Years at Oxford The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Late Life and Death And much more! So if you want a concise and informative book on J. R. R. Tolkien, simply scroll up and click the "Buy now" button for instant access!
44 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 8, 2019
139 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
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Hourly History
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 10, 2023
a theological look at JRR and LOTR
🌋 This study takes Tolkien’s Catholic faith seriously and, working with his own quotes about LOTR in particular, sheds interesting light on the trilogy and what its author was actually trying to get across.
🌋 This study takes Tolkien’s Catholic faith seriously and, working with his own quotes about LOTR in particular, sheds interesting light on the trilogy and what its author was actually trying to get across.
December 3, 2023
Another enjoyable overview. I knew little of his life, but his are amongst the first books I remember reading as a child. Perhaps I will re-read The Silmarillion.
I used to go to The Eagle and the Child (the pub where the Inklings would meet up), when I went to Oxford, but the last time I wentm, back in the Summer, it was closed; I do hope that is temporary, even then there were tourist outside taking photos, so who knows...
I used to go to The Eagle and the Child (the pub where the Inklings would meet up), when I went to Oxford, but the last time I wentm, back in the Summer, it was closed; I do hope that is temporary, even then there were tourist outside taking photos, so who knows...
November 24, 2022
J.R.R. Tolkien
One of my all-time favorite authors. This is a must read for any Tolkien fan. I didn't know that much about his life, so this book was very interesting.
One of my all-time favorite authors. This is a must read for any Tolkien fan. I didn't know that much about his life, so this book was very interesting.
March 17, 2023
I discovered these books at Amazon when looking for something else…..
They’re a short look at the lives of famous people, and of other things such as wars etc.
This one was actually free, most are very inexpensive…..I’ve added lots to my Amazon wish list.
I very much enjoyed this brief look at the life of Tolkien…..I then re-watched the movie ‘Tolkien’ which I think is excellent, but was even better knowing a little more about this favourite author’s life.
They’re a short look at the lives of famous people, and of other things such as wars etc.
This one was actually free, most are very inexpensive…..I’ve added lots to my Amazon wish list.
I very much enjoyed this brief look at the life of Tolkien…..I then re-watched the movie ‘Tolkien’ which I think is excellent, but was even better knowing a little more about this favourite author’s life.
March 4, 2020
Good book
Learned much about J.R. R.Tolkien. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the Lord of the Rings series.
Learned much about J.R. R.Tolkien. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the Lord of the Rings series.
January 15, 2020
Enlightening!
What a joy to read of the life this man lived. In actuality, his thinking is not unlike many today. He proved faithful to his writing. I am glad the author made his story readable.
What a joy to read of the life this man lived. In actuality, his thinking is not unlike many today. He proved faithful to his writing. I am glad the author made his story readable.
August 16, 2020
Shorter than the Wikipedia article and much better written. This is pretty much a bare facts summary of Tolkien's life. I read this after seeing the movie Tolkien because I wanted to see which parts were true and which parts were movie making. Hourly History presented his life in a concise manner that gave me just what I needed. I think I would consult further Hourly Histories in the future. I may even read a full blown bio of Tolkien in the future.
November 17, 2022
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien singlehandedly created the epic mythology genre. J R R's father, Arthur died when he was a toddler; Arthur's two sons were born in South Africa. His mother moved both boys to England, and they struggled. J R R always loved languages, adventure stories, and fairytales. The boy's mother, Mabel, became interested in Catholicism. When she converted, her Methodist family stopped providing financial help.
Mabel was soon diagnosed with diabetes, sank into a diabetic coma, and died. Father Francis from the Oratory looked out for the boys and helped them find a residence with their Aunt Beatrice Suffield. However, the boys spent most of their time with Father Francis and the Oratory.
Tolkien's real strength was his understanding of linguistics. He loved the history of words. By adolescence, he used Spanish as the basis of his new language -- Naffarin. J R R soon became fluent in Latin, Greek, and Gothic (or Old English). Tolkien earned a scholarship to Oxford. Although he had fallen in love with a fellow orphan, Edith Bratt, Father Francis forbade them from communicating until Tolkien turned 21. Edith was an accomplished pianist. When J R R could finally communicate with Edith, he found out she was engaged to another.
World War I interfered with life in England, and J R R was relieved that he could stay at Oxford and train in codes and message transmissions. After he graduated, he married Edith just before he was sent to the front. However, he got trench fever and spent the rest of the war and additional years in the hospital because of his health issues.
Eventually, Tolkien began teaching at Oxford. While there, he struck up a lifelong friendship with C S Lewis. Lewis wrote THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. Both men were more interested in fantasy and were each other's first readers and critics. Science fiction was in its infancy, and Tolkien started writing time travel stories, while Lewis began space travel tales.
It took Tolkien seventeen years to complete THE LORD OF THE RINGS, while Lewis spent seven years on the seven-part NARNIA. This book goes into an explanation of Tolkien's books and their worldwide acclaim. His books have been translated into most modern languages and have never been out of print. The author states that Tolkien's works were models that the HARRY POTTER and GAME OF THRONES books followed.
I've been curious about Tolkien for years, and this brief story satisfied my interest in the man and his works. The book showed where Tolkien gleaned his thoughts about the Middle-earth and his war of good and evil in his books. A very satisfying read.
Mabel was soon diagnosed with diabetes, sank into a diabetic coma, and died. Father Francis from the Oratory looked out for the boys and helped them find a residence with their Aunt Beatrice Suffield. However, the boys spent most of their time with Father Francis and the Oratory.
Tolkien's real strength was his understanding of linguistics. He loved the history of words. By adolescence, he used Spanish as the basis of his new language -- Naffarin. J R R soon became fluent in Latin, Greek, and Gothic (or Old English). Tolkien earned a scholarship to Oxford. Although he had fallen in love with a fellow orphan, Edith Bratt, Father Francis forbade them from communicating until Tolkien turned 21. Edith was an accomplished pianist. When J R R could finally communicate with Edith, he found out she was engaged to another.
World War I interfered with life in England, and J R R was relieved that he could stay at Oxford and train in codes and message transmissions. After he graduated, he married Edith just before he was sent to the front. However, he got trench fever and spent the rest of the war and additional years in the hospital because of his health issues.
Eventually, Tolkien began teaching at Oxford. While there, he struck up a lifelong friendship with C S Lewis. Lewis wrote THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. Both men were more interested in fantasy and were each other's first readers and critics. Science fiction was in its infancy, and Tolkien started writing time travel stories, while Lewis began space travel tales.
It took Tolkien seventeen years to complete THE LORD OF THE RINGS, while Lewis spent seven years on the seven-part NARNIA. This book goes into an explanation of Tolkien's books and their worldwide acclaim. His books have been translated into most modern languages and have never been out of print. The author states that Tolkien's works were models that the HARRY POTTER and GAME OF THRONES books followed.
I've been curious about Tolkien for years, and this brief story satisfied my interest in the man and his works. The book showed where Tolkien gleaned his thoughts about the Middle-earth and his war of good and evil in his books. A very satisfying read.
March 22, 2024
So I already knew a baseline amount about Tolkien's life story, but most of it was based on skimming Wikipedia and spending too much time on reddit, so I thought it might be good to read a book and get a more well rounded view.
But, as is generally the case with Hourly Histories, the books are so short you don't get much details. In fact, reading a bunch of these Hourly Histories (40 pages typically) has made me appreciate a lot more the insight and detail that you typically get in a full length biography (typically 500 pages or so).
Still, here are some things I learned that I hadn't fully appreciated:
(1) Both of Tolkien's parents died when he was quite young.
His dad died when he was 4 and his mom died when he was 12. His youth seems to have been rather unstable, especially after his mom died, being passed around from relative to relative and eventually being raised by a priest. I wonder how this affected him. It seems he turned out quite well considering.
(2) He went to Catholic mass DAILY.
I knew he was religious, but I didn't know he was THAT religious. But maybe attending daily mass was a normal thing in those days?
(3) "The Fellowship of the Ring" was not published until he was 62 years old.
I hadn't realized he was that old. That is a bit late to publish your magnum opus, especially for a popular author. But he died when he was 81, so he got to enjoy almost a good 2 decades of being a superstar author. But still, for most of his life, he was a pretty unknown academic, I wonder how his life would have been different if he had become mega famous in his 30s? But it also proves it's never too late, which is kind of inspiring? (But only if you are supertalented and have spent a few decades honing your craft!)
Also some trivia:
-He was nominated for a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961 by his good friend C.S. Lewis.
-He failed his first exam to get into Oxford, but passed on the second try. Even geniuses flunk!
Summary:
I did not learn a lot of details that I didn't know, but I learned a few things that put his life into context.
If I was to read a full length biography I think I would be most interested in reading about his later life and generally what type of person he was between 1950 and 1973 (his death). Basically I am interested in what the "fully mature" version of Tolkien was like. What did he think about modern society, contemporary politics, his marriage, his kids, his academic career, his literary career and how did he lead his life. I think this period has been well documented so hopefully one day I will get around to reading a full biography.
But, as is generally the case with Hourly Histories, the books are so short you don't get much details. In fact, reading a bunch of these Hourly Histories (40 pages typically) has made me appreciate a lot more the insight and detail that you typically get in a full length biography (typically 500 pages or so).
Still, here are some things I learned that I hadn't fully appreciated:
(1) Both of Tolkien's parents died when he was quite young.
His dad died when he was 4 and his mom died when he was 12. His youth seems to have been rather unstable, especially after his mom died, being passed around from relative to relative and eventually being raised by a priest. I wonder how this affected him. It seems he turned out quite well considering.
(2) He went to Catholic mass DAILY.
I knew he was religious, but I didn't know he was THAT religious. But maybe attending daily mass was a normal thing in those days?
(3) "The Fellowship of the Ring" was not published until he was 62 years old.
I hadn't realized he was that old. That is a bit late to publish your magnum opus, especially for a popular author. But he died when he was 81, so he got to enjoy almost a good 2 decades of being a superstar author. But still, for most of his life, he was a pretty unknown academic, I wonder how his life would have been different if he had become mega famous in his 30s? But it also proves it's never too late, which is kind of inspiring? (But only if you are supertalented and have spent a few decades honing your craft!)
Also some trivia:
-He was nominated for a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961 by his good friend C.S. Lewis.
-He failed his first exam to get into Oxford, but passed on the second try. Even geniuses flunk!
Summary:
I did not learn a lot of details that I didn't know, but I learned a few things that put his life into context.
If I was to read a full length biography I think I would be most interested in reading about his later life and generally what type of person he was between 1950 and 1973 (his death). Basically I am interested in what the "fully mature" version of Tolkien was like. What did he think about modern society, contemporary politics, his marriage, his kids, his academic career, his literary career and how did he lead his life. I think this period has been well documented so hopefully one day I will get around to reading a full biography.
December 14, 2019
While I have long known about "The Hobbit" and the Lord in the Rings trilogy, I knew very little about John Ronald Reuel Tolkien himself. This short biography gave the circumstances of Tolkien's birth, his early years, his Catholic upbringing, his marriage, his years as a student, his time during World War I, his years as a teacher, his fascination with languages. There were many interesting details about Tolkien's life, such as he had a long friendship with author C.S. Lewis, and Tolkien was known for doing much more rewriting than writing (it took him 17 years to complete the Lord of the Rings.) I did find a number of typos throughout the book, however. For instance, it says Tolkien was born in 1982 then goes on to say he died in 1973. If you can ignore the typos, it is an interesting biography and worth the read.
Read
July 26, 2020A concise yet revealing biographical summary
You may know the Hobbit and the Ring trilogy in depth but the author himself tends to be forgotten. Much of what I thought to be so was wrong. For instance, Tolkein was not South African, though the family did live there for a while, and he did not write the book while a soldier in World War I. He was in fact a very complex person, enmeshed in his fantasy world yet sociable in his University setting while kindly but oblivious to his wife. It is unfortunate that the constrained space in this series prevents more depth; the latter half of his life after he found success is skimmed in a few lines (but maybe with comfortable living there was little of note to relate).
You may know the Hobbit and the Ring trilogy in depth but the author himself tends to be forgotten. Much of what I thought to be so was wrong. For instance, Tolkein was not South African, though the family did live there for a while, and he did not write the book while a soldier in World War I. He was in fact a very complex person, enmeshed in his fantasy world yet sociable in his University setting while kindly but oblivious to his wife. It is unfortunate that the constrained space in this series prevents more depth; the latter half of his life after he found success is skimmed in a few lines (but maybe with comfortable living there was little of note to relate).
August 14, 2023
Very nice small introduction to the world of Tolkien. I am a huge fan and have read about 20 of his works, I believe. He was a unique writer with a fantastic vision and fantasy world. I'm again and again amazed when I read more about him and what he has done. I speak Finnish and Greek, some of his most beloved languages. I totally see his love there. My sister lived nine years in Wales and taught Welsh. I have visited Wales many many times and although I don't speak Welsh, it is also one of the most amazing languages that I absolutely love. I could go on forever.. anyways.. read this, and then all of Tolkien's works. Do it.
April 23, 2023
Did the author read the books?
The writing itself was mostly free of errors this time. I will say I don't like the embellishment in certain word choices - just the facts please! The stuff about Edith was especially grating - is there anything that backs any of that up?
Some of the book related information is false. The Hobbit was NOT the quest for the Ring - that was incidental to that story. More importantly, LotR is NOT an allegory!!! There are no "biblical proportions" to his writing - he even said as much in the beginning notes to LotR.
The writing itself was mostly free of errors this time. I will say I don't like the embellishment in certain word choices - just the facts please! The stuff about Edith was especially grating - is there anything that backs any of that up?
Some of the book related information is false. The Hobbit was NOT the quest for the Ring - that was incidental to that story. More importantly, LotR is NOT an allegory!!! There are no "biblical proportions" to his writing - he even said as much in the beginning notes to LotR.
November 25, 2020
Tolkien is, of course, most noted for his writings on the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series. I didn't know much about his life, though, and this book helped fill in those gaps. He was born in South Africa of a poor family. He moved to England, joined a group called the Inklings, was an Oxford professor and died in 1973.
The book goes into his various writings and covers other information about his life. Worth reading.
The book goes into his various writings and covers other information about his life. Worth reading.
October 1, 2022
Good short quick read
Enjoy this form of biography. Its fast and to the point,which is good if a,person just wants to know the basic facts,as I did. I'm reading Lord of the rings,and wanted to know more about J.R.R. this filled the need. Check into these ,40 page books.its worth it. Well.back to Frodo. If you haven't read lord of the rings take a try you will be surprised .
Enjoy this form of biography. Its fast and to the point,which is good if a,person just wants to know the basic facts,as I did. I'm reading Lord of the rings,and wanted to know more about J.R.R. this filled the need. Check into these ,40 page books.its worth it. Well.back to Frodo. If you haven't read lord of the rings take a try you will be surprised .
January 18, 2020
A token of his love
I read the Lord of the Rings in 1971 while in the Army stationed in Berlin Germany. We talked about how it work well as a movie. It was first an animated film would take another twenty years before it became a film. I loved getting to know the author who first made love fantasy and want to devour an epic work.
I read the Lord of the Rings in 1971 while in the Army stationed in Berlin Germany. We talked about how it work well as a movie. It was first an animated film would take another twenty years before it became a film. I loved getting to know the author who first made love fantasy and want to devour an epic work.
December 28, 2020
Short bio of Tolkien
This is a quick bare bones version of the life of one of the great writers of our time: HRR Tolkien. I fell in love with his writing when I first discovered his books over 40years ago. This little book gives a short but adequate description of Tolkiens life, from birth to death.
This is a quick bare bones version of the life of one of the great writers of our time: HRR Tolkien. I fell in love with his writing when I first discovered his books over 40years ago. This little book gives a short but adequate description of Tolkiens life, from birth to death.
March 7, 2023
Very well written synopsis of JRR Tolkien's life. Being part of the Hourly History library means it has to limit its content to be able to be read in about an hour. Yet, this biography provides more insight into understanding the author of the Lord of the Rings than other biographies I have read that are much longer.
March 25, 2023
Excellent
Finally an explanation about Tolkien and his creations that a logical mind can follow. I love Tolkien's work but sometimes find it frustrating because I can be a logical thinker. With this book the timeline presented has given me a solid base for appreciating Tolkien's work. Thank you.
Finally an explanation about Tolkien and his creations that a logical mind can follow. I love Tolkien's work but sometimes find it frustrating because I can be a logical thinker. With this book the timeline presented has given me a solid base for appreciating Tolkien's work. Thank you.
September 21, 2024
Brief but thorough
An excellent overview of the legendary Tolkien, including a thorough biography, his relationship with C. S. Lewis, and his passion for philology. The book is a short read...44 pages, jam packed with Tolkien's character. The book includes how Tolkien came up with his ideas for the Lord of the Rings.
An excellent overview of the legendary Tolkien, including a thorough biography, his relationship with C. S. Lewis, and his passion for philology. The book is a short read...44 pages, jam packed with Tolkien's character. The book includes how Tolkien came up with his ideas for the Lord of the Rings.
January 12, 2020
Another interesting historical figure JRR TOLKIEN.
Another interesting book by hourly history. JRR TOLKIEN was indeed a great writer. Having created these characters from the Hobbit and Lord of the rings. Truly a genius.
Another interesting book by hourly history. JRR TOLKIEN was indeed a great writer. Having created these characters from the Hobbit and Lord of the rings. Truly a genius.
November 26, 2022
This is an hour history read and I found it interesting - there was a lot I didn't know about this fellow and t was interesting - I knew he had been friendly with Snow - did not know they had broken over Tolkien's lack of sufficient tolerance for those with other views.
And Tolkien was a man of his times it seems - wife to stay home and tend the kiddies etc while he went with his buddies.
It does however attribute some of the aspects of his writing to his experiences in WWI.
And Tolkien was a man of his times it seems - wife to stay home and tend the kiddies etc while he went with his buddies.
It does however attribute some of the aspects of his writing to his experiences in WWI.
November 27, 2022
Tolkien
This Biography of J.R.R. Tolkien is filled with the places, experiences, and events of his life that brought his inspiration of the Hobbit and Lord of the rings with some details of the Author's personality that makes for a well rounded read well done Hourly History
This Biography of J.R.R. Tolkien is filled with the places, experiences, and events of his life that brought his inspiration of the Hobbit and Lord of the rings with some details of the Author's personality that makes for a well rounded read well done Hourly History
December 26, 2022
good, short biography
I didn’t know much about the author of my favorite fantasy books. Good because it’s short but with lots of facts about his early years. It is a miracle he wrote so many wonderful books.
I didn’t know much about the author of my favorite fantasy books. Good because it’s short but with lots of facts about his early years. It is a miracle he wrote so many wonderful books.
May 22, 2023
A pleasure filled read
I applaud this biography for both its attention to detail and ease of read. This work contains in-depth details of Tolkien's eclectic life. I am also pleased that this book contains details of Tolkein's famous works of literature.
I applaud this biography for both its attention to detail and ease of read. This work contains in-depth details of Tolkien's eclectic life. I am also pleased that this book contains details of Tolkein's famous works of literature.
September 28, 2023
J. R. R. Tolkien
Another fantastic read from Hourly History! A clear and concise telling of the author and his life. If you haven’t read any of the books by Hourly History you are missing out. They cut out the filler and get straight to the point.
Another fantastic read from Hourly History! A clear and concise telling of the author and his life. If you haven’t read any of the books by Hourly History you are missing out. They cut out the filler and get straight to the point.
November 1, 2023
J.R.R. Tolkien, short biography
I always want to read about authors before I read their work and this short biography provided helpful insight on the life of one of the most popular authors known to date.
I always want to read about authors before I read their work and this short biography provided helpful insight on the life of one of the most popular authors known to date.
January 6, 2024
This book offers one of most simplest ways into the life of one of my favourite author
It's one of the best reads ,which takes us on a journey of one of the most creative geniuses, sharing glimpse and context to the epic work of "Lord of the Rings"
It's one of the best reads ,which takes us on a journey of one of the most creative geniuses, sharing glimpse and context to the epic work of "Lord of the Rings"
September 8, 2024
Great introduction
This short book gives a taster of the fascinating life of JRR Tolkien. His books were some of the most influential works of the 20th century. He led a very interesting lifea and it's good to get a glimpse of the man behind Middle Earth.
This short book gives a taster of the fascinating life of JRR Tolkien. His books were some of the most influential works of the 20th century. He led a very interesting lifea and it's good to get a glimpse of the man behind Middle Earth.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews