Explores the chief influences on J R R Tolkien's work: his boyhood in the West Midlands; the landscapes and seascapes which shaped his mythologies; his experiences in World War I; his interest in Scandinavian myth; his friendships, especially with the other Oxford-based Inklings; and relevance of his themes, especially ecological themes, today.
Subtitled "J.R.R. Tolkien & the Origins of the Hobbit". Explores the chief influences on Tolkien's work, offering a guide to the varied inspirations behind his life and work, and sheds new light on how a legend is born.