Tolkien and the Great War: the threshold of Middle-earth
This book tells the full story of how Tolkien embarked on the creation of Middle-earth as the world around him was plunged into the catastrophe of World War I. It reveals the horror and heroism that he experienced as a signals officer in the Battle of the Somme and introduces the circle of friends who spurred his mythology into life. It shows how, after two of these brilliant young men were killed, Tolkien pursued the dream they had all shared by launching his epic of good and evil, using his mythic imagination not to escape from reality but to reflect and transform the cataclysm of his generation. Author Garth argues that this foundation is the key to Middle-earth's enduring power. While his contemporaries surrendered to disillusionment, he kept enchantment alive, reshaping an entire literary tradition into a form that resonates to this day.--From publisher description.