Long before the successful The Lord of the Rings films J.R.R. Tolkiens creations imagination & characters had captured the attention of millions of readers. But who was the man who dreamt up the intricate languages & perfectly crafted world of Middle-earth? Tolkien had a difficult life for many years: orphaned & poor his guardian forbad him to communicate with the woman he had fallen in love with & he went through the horrors of the First World War. An intensely private & brilliant scholar he spent over fifty years working on the languages history peoples & geography of Middle-earth with a consistent mythology & body of legends inspired by a formidable knowledge of early northern European history & culture. J.R.R. Tolkien became a legend by creating an imaginary world that has enthralled & delighted generations. This delightful & accessible biography brings him to life. Colin Duriez has appeared as a commentator on DVDs of Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings & BBC televisions The Worlds of Fantasy. He is also the author of The Inklings Handbook (with the late David Porter) J. R. R. Tolkien & C. S. Lewis: The Story of Their Friendship & Tolkien & The Lord of the Rings & has contributed to definitive reference works The Tolkien Encyclopedia & a number of other tomes relating to Tolkien.