Tolkien Books published in November 2006 - the month of Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond (01.11.06)

Key Tolkien Books Published in November 2006

This month we finally see the publication of the most important book written about Tolkien. Designed to be the essential reference works for all readers and students, these volumes present the most thorough analysis possible of tolkien's work within the important context of his life. While the books can be bought as seperate volumes, but actually work together; best by the box set. Anyone who wants to have a good reference on Tolkien should own a copy. We have waited many years for this book and the waiting was more then worthwhile... the bookset is absolutely stunning and the content even more so!

Two more 'green' books need our attention...

The Plants of Middle-earth draws on biography, literary sources, and cultural history and is unique in using botany as the focal point for examining the complex network of elements that comprise Tolkien’s creation. Each chapter includes the plants’ description, uses, history, and lore, which frequently lead to their thematic and interpretive implications. The book will appeal to general readers, students, and teachers of Tolkien as well as to those with an interest in plant lore and botanical illustration.

Ents, Elves, and Eriador examines the underlying environmental philosophy in tolkien's major works as well as his lesser-known stories and essays. A very impressive list of contributors and probably also very interesting!

J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide
by Wayne G. Hammond, Christina Scull

Designed to be the essential reference works for all readers and students, these volumes present the most thorough analysis possible of tolkien's work within the important context of his life.
The Reader's Guide includes brief but comprehensive alphabetical entries on a wide range of topics, including a who's who of important persons, a guide to places and institutions, details concerning tolkien's source material, information about the political and social upheavals through which the author lived, the importance of his social circle, his service as an infantryman in World War I -- even information on the critical reaction to his work and the "Tolkien cult."
The Chronology details the parallel evolutions of tolkien's works and his academic and personal life in minute detail. Spanning the entirety of his long life including nearly sixty years of active labor on his Middle-earth creations, and drawing on such contemporary sources as school records, war service files, biographies, correspondence, the letters of his close friend C. S. Lewis, and the diaries of W. H. Lewis, this book will be an invaluable resource for those who wish to gain a complete understanding of tolkien's status as a giant of twentieth-century literature.

CHRISTINA SCULL and WAYNE G. HAMMOND are the authors of J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator as well as the editors of tolkien's Roverandom and the fiftieth anniversary edition of Farmer Giles of Ham. They have been honored three times with the prestigious Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inkling Studies. Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond are the editors of Tolkien"s Roverandom and the fiftieth anniversary edition of Farmer Giles of Ham and the authors of the groundbreaking study J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator. They have been honored three times by the Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inkling Studies.

Plants of Middle-Earth: Botany and Sub-Creation
by Dinah Hazell, Marsha Mello (Illustrator)

A new path for exploring the culture and values of Tolkien’s Middle-earth

“Rather than inventing an alien world into which human and familiar characters are introduced, as in science fiction, Tolkien created a natural environment that is also home to ‘supernatural’ beings and elements, as in medieval works like Beowulf. The Shire is always the touchstone to which the hobbits return mentally and against which they (and we) measure the rest of Middle-earth. By creating a sense of familiarity and belonging early and then in each of the cultures encountered, we can meet ‘others’ without feeling estranged.” —from the Introduction

Beautifully illustrated with dozens of original full-color and black-and-white drawings, The Plants of Middle-earth connects readers visually to the world of Middle-earth, its cultures and characters and the scenes of their adventures. Tolkien’s use of flowers, herbs, trees, and other flora creates verisimilitude in Middle-earth, with the flora serving important narrative functions. This botanical tour through Middle-earth increases appreciation of Tolkien’s contribution as preserver and transmitter of English cultural expression, provides a refreshing and enlivening perspective for approaching and experiencing Tolkien’s text, and allows readers to observe his artistry as sub-creator and his imaginative life as medievalist, philologist, scholar, and gardener.

The Plants of Middle-earth draws on biography, literary sources, and cultural history and is unique in using botany as the focal point for examining the complex network of elements that comprise Tolkien’s creation. Each chapter includes the plants’ description, uses, history, and lore, which frequently lead to their thematic and interpretive implications. The book will appeal to general readers, students, and teachers of Tolkien as well as to those with an interest in plant lore and botanical illustration.

Dinah Hazell specializes in medieval English literature and cultural studies and has published several articles on the subject. An independent scholar, she has designed curricula for a number of courses taught at San Francisco State University, including one on Tolkien. She lives in Menlo Park, California, and is an avid gardener.

Ents, Elves, and Eriador: The Environmental Vision of J. R. R. Tolkien
by Matthew Dickerson, Jonathan Evans, John Elder, Jonathan Evans, Tom Shippey

Though not often recognized as environmental or agrarian literature, the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien demonstrate a complex and comprehensive ecological philosophy. The ecology of Middle-earth portrayed in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion brings together three potent and convincing elements of preservation and conservation--sustainable agriculture and agrarianism, horticulture independent of utilitarianism, and protection of unspoiled wilderness. Throughout his work, Tolkien reveals his vision of the natural world and environmental responsibility.

Ents, Elves, and Eriador examines the underlying environmental philosophy in tolkien's major works as well as his lesser-known stories and essays. Matthew Dickerson and Jonathan Evans evaluate tolkien's writing, especially his Middle-earth legendarium, in the context of modern environmental literature. The authors compare tolkien's work with that of some of the most important environmental scholars and nature writers of the past century, including Wendell Berry, John Elder, Aldo Leopold, and Scott Sanders, highlighting tolkien's intellectual depth.

A vital contribution to environmental literature and an important addition to Tolkien scholarship, Ents, Elves, and Eriador offers all fans of Tolkien a new way to understand his writings.