Amazing & Extraordinary Facts: J.R.R. Tolkien is the authoritative collection of facts about the man behind Middle-earth, and his remarkably detailed imaginative world of Hobbits and Elves. Though undoubtedly an academic, there was much more to J.R.R. Tolkien. He was ‘kidnapped’ as a baby in South Africa, orphaned, and mentally scarred from the bloody Battle of the Somme of World War I. His major book, The Lord of the Rings, one of the most popular and successful stories of our time, was expected by its doubting publisher to make a big loss. From ordinary places that inspired Tolkien, to imaginary creatures or settings, or from his world of scholarship to the faith that sustained him, wherever you go, you will be certain to find clues and insights that explore all aspects of the incredible Tolkien phenomenon. What is the connection between J.R.R. Tolkien and Bletchley Park? Did J.R.R. Tolkien predict the great storm of 1987? To which character in The Lord of the Rings did Tolkien compare himself? Does Sam Gamgee really bribe Gollum with fish and chips? How did C.S. Lewis write J.R.R. Tolkien’s obituary from beyond the grave? Find the answers to these and many other intriguing aspects of the man behind Middle-earth in this absorbing collection of stories and trivia!