A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien has been published by Wiley Blackwell.

Edited by Stuart D. Lee, the 602 page tome contains chapters on all aspects of Tolkien’s life written by leading Tolkien scholars.

The first chapter, a brief biography of Tolkien by John Garth, is available to read for free from the publisher’s website (click “Read an Excerpt” and then download the PDF entitled “Chapter 01”).

From the publisher:

This is a complete resource for scholars and students of Tolkien, as well as avid fans, with coverage of his life, work, dominant themes, influences, and the critical reaction to his writing.

• An in-depth examination of Tolkien’s entire work by a cadre of top scholars
• Provides up-to-date discussion and analysis of Tolkien’s scholarly and literary works, including his latest posthumous book, The Fall of Arthur, as well as addressing contemporary adaptations, including the new Hobbit films
• Investigates various themes across his body of work, such as mythmaking, medieval languages, nature, war, religion, and the defeat of evil
• Discusses the impact of his work on art, film, music, gaming, and subsequent generations of fantasy writers

About the Author: Daniel Helen

Daniel is an Officer without Portfolio and Trustee of The Tolkien Society. Elected in 2014, he is mainly responsible for the Society's digital operations, including this website.