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{{book
{{book
|title=J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography
|title=J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography
|image=[[Image:J.R.R. Tolkien - A Biography.jpg|250px]]
|image=[[Image:Tolkien A Biography 1977.png|225px]]
|author=[[Humphrey Carpenter]]
|author=[[Humphrey Carpenter]]
|publisher=[[Allen and Unwin|George Allen and Unwin]] (UK)<br/>[[Houghton Mifflin]] (US)
|publisherUK=[[George Allen and Unwin]]
|date=[[5 May]] [[1977]]
|publisherUS=[[Houghton Mifflin]]
|format=Paperback
|dateUK=[[5 May]] [[1977]]
|pages=304 pages
|dateUS=[[29 June]] 1977
|isbn=0618057021
|format=Hardcover; paperback
|pages=304
|isbn=0049280376
}}
}}
'''''J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography''''' is a biography book by [[Humphrey Carpenter]]. It is the official, authorized biography of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. First published in [[1977]], It has been reprinted many times since.


'''''J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography''''' is a book by [[Humphrey Carpenter]]. Originally published in [[1977]], it is the official, authorized biography of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]].
The Tolkien scholar [[Tom Shippey]] writes that even though the biography came out before most of the posthumous publications edited by Christopher Tolkien, "it has worn very well", telling of Tolkien's "sad and traumatic youth", and providing good coverage of his dealings with [[C. S. Lewis]] and his publishers.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/nov/29/jrrtolkien.bestbooks Tom Shippey's top 10 books on JRR Tolkien] (accessed 12 June 2022)</ref>
===From the Publisher===
The authorized biography of the creator of [[Middle-earth]]. In the decades since his death in September [[1973]], millions have read [[The Hobbit|THE HOBBIT]], [[The Lord of the Rings|THE LORD OF THE RINGS]], and [[The Silmarillion|THE SILMARILLION]] and become fascinated about the very private man behind the books.


Born in [[South Africa]] in January [[1892]], John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was orphaned in childhood and brought up in near-poverty. He served in the [[World War I|first World War]], surviving the [[Battle of the Somme]], where he lost many of the closest friends he'd ever had. After the war he returned to the academic life, achieving high repute as a scholar and university teacher, eventually becoming Merton Professor of English at [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] where he was a close friend of [[C.S. Lewis]] and the other writers known as [[Inklings|The Inklings]].
The book contains a large number of previously unpublished extracts from letters, poems, and other writings by Tolkien, together with a reproduction of a page from the manuscript of ''The Lord of the Rings''.


Then suddenly his life changed dramatically. One day while grading essay papers he found himself writing 'In a hole in the ground there lived a [[Hobbits|hobbit]]' -- and worldwide renown awaited him.
===From the publisher===
{{blockquote|The authorized biography of the creator of Middle-earth. In the decades since his death in September 1973, millions have read [[The Hobbit]], [[The Lord of the Rings]], and [[The Silmarillion]] and become fascinated about the very private man behind the books.<br />
<br />Born in South Africa in January 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was orphaned in childhood and brought up in near-poverty. He served in the [[World War I|first World War]], surviving the [[Battle of the Somme]], where he lost many of the closest friends he'd ever had. After the war he returned to the academic life, achieving high repute as a scholar and university teacher, eventually becoming Merton Professor of English at Oxford where he was a close friend of [[C.S. Lewis]] and the other writers known as [[Inklings|The Inklings]].<br />
<br />Then suddenly his life changed dramatically. One day while grading essay papers he found himself writing 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit' and worldwide renown awaited him.<br />
<br />Humphrey Carpenter was given unrestricted access to all Tolkien's papers, and interviewed his friends and family. From these sources he follows the long and painful process of creation that produced The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion and offers a wealth of information about the life and work of the twentieth century's most cherished author.}}


[[Humphrey Carpenter]] was given unrestricted access to all Tolkien's papers, and interviewed his friends and family. From these sources he follows the long and painful process of creation that produced THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE SILMARILLION and offers a wealth of information about the life and work of the twentieth century's most cherished author.
==Contents==
<div style="-moz-column-width: 400px; -webkit-column-width: 400px; column-width: 400px; -moz-column-gap: 15px; -webkit-column-gap: 15px; column-gap: 15px; -webkit-column-rule: 1px solid #cccccc; -moz-column-rule: 1px solid #cccccc; column-rule: 1px solid #cccccc;">
*I. A visit


*II. [[1892]]-[[1916]]: Early years
**Bloemfontein
**Birmingham
**'Private lang.' - and Edith
**'T.C., B.S., etc'
**Oxford
**Reunion
**War
**The breaking of the fellowship
*III. [[1917]]-[[1925]]: The making of a mythology
**Lost Tales
**Oxford interlude
**Northern venture
*IV. 1925-[[1949]] (i): 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit'
**Oxford life
**Photographs observed
**'He had been inside language'
**Jack
**Northmoor Road
**The storyteller
*V. 1925-1949 (ii): The Third Age
**Enter Mr Baggins
**'The new Hobbit'
*VI. 1949-[[1966]]: Success
**Slamming the gates
**A big risk
**Cash or kudos
*VII. [[1959]]-[[1973]]: Last years
**Headington
**Bournemouth
**Merton Street
*VIII. The Tree
*Appendix
**A. Simplified genealogical table
**B. Chronology of events
**C. The published writings of J. R. R. Tolkien
**D. Sources and acknowledgments
*Index
</div>
==Publication history and gallery==
;UK Editions
{{Gallery
|width=125
|height=125
|lines=2
|File:Tolkien A Biography 1977.png |1977 edition
|File:Tolkien A Biography 1978.png |1978 edition
|File:Tolkien A Biography 1981.png |1978 edition alternative cover
|File:Tolkien A Biography 1987.png |1987 edition
|File:Tolkien A Biography 1995.png |1995 edition
|File:Tolkien A Biography 1998.png |1995 edition second impression
|File:Tolkien A Biography 2002.jpeg |2002 edition
|File:Tolkien A Biography 2016.jpeg |2016 edition
}}
*[[George Allen and Unwin]] hardcover ([[1977]]), pp. 304. ISBN 0049280376
*[[Unwin Paperbacks]] paperback ([[1978]]), ISBN 0049280392
*[[Unwin Paperbacks]] paperback ([[1987]]), ISBN 0049280708
*[[HarperCollins]] paperback ([[1995]]), ISBN 0261102451
**1995 edition 2nd impression ([[1998]]) paperback
*[[HarperCollins]] paperback ([[2002]]), ISBN 0007132840
*[[HarperCollins]] paperback ([[2016]]), ISBN 0008207771
==Rejection of the first draft==
In a BBC interview with Martin Wainwright in 2003, Carpenter confirmed that Christopher Tolkien rejected the first draft of the biography believing it to be a very boring to read. Carpenter assumed that this was due to the number of letters quoted.<ref>{{webcite|author=|website=BBC|articleurl=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0076g3d BBC Radio 4, Custodians of the World|accessed=13 September 2014}}</ref>
==See also==
*''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]''
{{references}}
{{Publishedmajorbooks}}
{{title|italics}}
[[Category:Biography books]]
[[Category:Biography books]]
[[Category:Books by Humphrey Carpenter]]
[[Category:Books by Humphrey Carpenter]]
[[CATEGORY:Publications by title]]
[[Category:Publications by title]]
[[fi:J.R.R. Tolkien - elämäkerta]]

Revision as of 15:05, 9 August 2022

This article is about the book by Humphrey Carpenter. For the the book by Leslie Ellen Jones, see J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies).
J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography
Tolkien A Biography 1977.png
AuthorHumphrey Carpenter
PublisherGeorge Allen and Unwin (UK)
Houghton Mifflin (US)
Released5 May 1977 (UK)
29 June 1977 (US)
FormatHardcover; paperback
Pages304
ISBN0049280376

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography is a biography book by Humphrey Carpenter. It is the official, authorized biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. First published in 1977, It has been reprinted many times since.

The Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey writes that even though the biography came out before most of the posthumous publications edited by Christopher Tolkien, "it has worn very well", telling of Tolkien's "sad and traumatic youth", and providing good coverage of his dealings with C. S. Lewis and his publishers.[1]

The book contains a large number of previously unpublished extracts from letters, poems, and other writings by Tolkien, together with a reproduction of a page from the manuscript of The Lord of the Rings.

From the publisher

The authorized biography of the creator of Middle-earth. In the decades since his death in September 1973, millions have read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion and become fascinated about the very private man behind the books.


Born in South Africa in January 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was orphaned in childhood and brought up in near-poverty. He served in the first World War, surviving the Battle of the Somme, where he lost many of the closest friends he'd ever had. After the war he returned to the academic life, achieving high repute as a scholar and university teacher, eventually becoming Merton Professor of English at Oxford where he was a close friend of C.S. Lewis and the other writers known as The Inklings.

Then suddenly his life changed dramatically. One day while grading essay papers he found himself writing 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit' — and worldwide renown awaited him.


Humphrey Carpenter was given unrestricted access to all Tolkien's papers, and interviewed his friends and family. From these sources he follows the long and painful process of creation that produced The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion and offers a wealth of information about the life and work of the twentieth century's most cherished author.

Contents

  • I. A visit
  • II. 1892-1916: Early years
    • Bloemfontein
    • Birmingham
    • 'Private lang.' - and Edith
    • 'T.C., B.S., etc'
    • Oxford
    • Reunion
    • War
    • The breaking of the fellowship
  • III. 1917-1925: The making of a mythology
    • Lost Tales
    • Oxford interlude
    • Northern venture
  • IV. 1925-1949 (i): 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit'
    • Oxford life
    • Photographs observed
    • 'He had been inside language'
    • Jack
    • Northmoor Road
    • The storyteller
  • V. 1925-1949 (ii): The Third Age
    • Enter Mr Baggins
    • 'The new Hobbit'
  • VI. 1949-1966: Success
    • Slamming the gates
    • A big risk
    • Cash or kudos
  • VII. 1959-1973: Last years
    • Headington
    • Bournemouth
    • Merton Street
  • VIII. The Tree
  • Appendix
    • A. Simplified genealogical table
    • B. Chronology of events
    • C. The published writings of J. R. R. Tolkien
    • D. Sources and acknowledgments
  • Index

Publication history and gallery

UK Editions
1977 edition  
1978 edition  
1978 edition alternative cover  
1987 edition  
1995 edition  
1995 edition second impression  
2002 edition  
2016 edition  

Rejection of the first draft

In a BBC interview with Martin Wainwright in 2003, Carpenter confirmed that Christopher Tolkien rejected the first draft of the biography believing it to be a very boring to read. Carpenter assumed that this was due to the number of letters quoted.[2]

See also

References

  1. Tom Shippey's top 10 books on JRR Tolkien (accessed 12 June 2022)
  2. "BBC Radio 4, Custodians of the World ", BBC News (accessed 13 September 2014)
A J.R.R. Tolkien book guide
Books by or mainly by Tolkien
Of Arda Authored by
J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit · The Lord of the Rings
(i.The Fellowship of the Ring · ii.The Two Towers · iii.The Return of the King) ·
The Road Goes Ever On · Bilbo's Last Song
Edited by Christopher Tolkien The Silmarillion · Unfinished Tales · The History of Middle-earth series
(i.The Book of Lost Tales: Part One · ii.The Book of Lost Tales: Part Two · iii.The Lays of Beleriand · iv.The Shaping of Middle-earth · v.The Lost Road and Other Writings · vi.The Return of the Shadow · vii.The Treason of Isengard · viii.The War of the Ring · ix.Sauron Defeated · x.Morgoth's Ring · xi.The War of the Jewels · xii.The Peoples of Middle-earth · Index) ·
The Children of Húrin · Beren and Lúthien · The Fall of Gondolin
Edited by others The Annotated Hobbit · The History of The Hobbit · The Nature of Middle-earth ·
The Fall of Númenor · The Maps of Middle-earth
Not of Arda Short stories
and poems
Leaf by Niggle · Farmer Giles of Ham · Smith of Wootton Major · The Adventures of Tom Bombadil ·
Letters from Father Christmas · Mr. Bliss · Roverandom ·
Tree and Leaf (compilation) · Tales from the Perilous Realm (compilation)
Fictional works The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún · The Fall of Arthur · The Story of Kullervo · The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun
Translations and academic works Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo · Finn and Hengest ·
The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays · Beowulf and the Critics · Tolkien On Fairy-stories ·
Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary · A Secret Vice · The Battle of Maldon
Collected letters and poems The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien · The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien
Edited old texts A Middle English Vocabulary · Sir Gawain and the Green Knight · Ancrene Wisse · The Old English Exodus
Books by other authors
Biographies J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography · The Inklings · Tolkien and the Great War
Reference works The Complete Guide to Middle-earth · The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide
Scholarly studies The Road to Middle-earth · The Keys of Middle-earth · The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion ·
The Ring of Words · A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien · Tolkien's Lost Chaucer ·
Tolkien's Library · Tolkien on Chaucer, 1913-1959
Scholarly journals Tolkien Studies · (The Chronology)
Other works by Tolkien
Linguistic journals Vinyar Tengwar various issues · Parma Eldalamberon issue 11-22
Collections of artwork
and manuscripts
Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien · J.R.R. Tolkien: Life and Legend · J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator ·
The Art of The Hobbit · The Art of The Lord of the Rings · Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth ·
Tolkien: Treasures · J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript
This list is only a selection of works, for a fuller bibliography of Tolkien see here or here. See also a timeline and an index.