The Road to Middle-Earth: How J.R.R. Tolkien Created a New Mythology

The Road to Middle-earth, Tom Shippey s classic work, now revised in paperback, explores J.R.R. Tolkien s creativity and the sources of his inspiration. Shippey shows in detail how Tolkien s professional background led him to write The Hobbit and how he created a timeless charm for millions of readers. Examining the foundation of Tolkien s most popular work, The Lord of the Rings, Shippey also discusses the contribution of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales to Tolkien s great myth cycle, showing how Tolkien s more difficult books can be fully appreciated. He goes on to examine the remarkable twelve-volume History of Middle-earth, written by Tolkien s son and literary heir Christopher Tolkien, which traces the creative and technical processes by which Middle-earth evolved.