The Making of Middle-earth: A New Look Inside the World of J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings consistently tops polls as the best-loved literary work of all time. Now medieval scholar and Tolkien expert Christopher Snyder presents the most in-depth exploration yet of Tolkien's source materials for Middle-earth—from the languages, poetry, and mythology of medieval Europe and ancient Greece to the halls of Oxford and the battlefields of World War I. Fueled by the author's passion for all things Tolkien, this richly illustrated book also reveals the surprisingly pervasive influence of Tolkien's timeless fantasies on modern culture. 

Dr. Christopher A. Snyder is professor of European History and Dean of Shackouls Honors College at Mississippi State University in Starkville. He has written numerous books, including The World of King Arthur (Thames & Hudson). His works have been featured in the Book of the Month Club and the History Book Club, and have been translated into French, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese. Dr. Snyder has been a presenter on the History Channel, the BBC, the Learning Channel, and the National Geographic Channel. He also lectures at the Smithsonian Institution, and teaches Honors seminars on J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis at the University of Oxford.