New Tolkien Books:updates

[davem]

Thought it might be useful to have a thread running where we can keep up to date with new publications by or about Tolkien. This doesn't have to be limited to scholarly works, just anything Tolkien related that looks interesting. I've lifted publisher's details from Blackwells & Amazon.

Just to start off, I've found these current & forthcoming books that look interesting:

Tolkien Studies (volume 2). (Verlyn Flieger/Michael Drout eds) Currently available. Publisher's details:

Tolkien Studies is an annual journal of scholarship on J.R.R. Tolkien and his works. Since the publication of The Hobbit in 1937, the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien have been admired throughout the world. With the publication in the 1950s of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien's fantasy writing began to attract academic attention in both the classroom and the world of scholarship. Most recently, Peter Jackson's three-part movie adaptation has added film-study scholars to those fascinated by Tolkien's work. Tolkien Studies: An Annual Scholarly Review is the first scholarly journal published by an academic press for the purpose of presenting and reviewing the growing body of critical commentary and scholarship about Tolkien's writings. The founding editors--Douglas A. Anderson, Michael D. C. Drout, and Verlyn Flieger-- and the members of the editorial board--David Bratman, Carl F. Hostetter, Tom Shippey, Richard C. West, and Marjorie Burns--are all distinguished Tolkien scholars.

Perilous Realms:Celtic and Norse in Tolkien's Middle-Earth (Marjorie Burns)Forthcoming. Publisher's details:

.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) is increasingly recognized as the most influential writer of the twentieth century. Sales of his books remain exceptionally high, and Middle-earth fan clubs flourish around the world. The film versions made of The Lord of the Rings, released between 2001 and 2003, have only added to his popularity. Throughout his life, Tolkien was acutely aware of the power of myth in shaping society; so much so, that one of his earliest ambitions as a writer was to create a mythology for England. The Middle-earth of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit was to serve as a stand-in for Britain and northwestern Europe and is strongly based on a variety of influential literatures and beliefs, particularly the Celtic and Norse. Perilous Realms is the first book to focus consistently on the ways in which Tolkien balances these two ancient cultures and unites them in a single literature. Renowned Tolkien scholar Marjorie Burns also investigates the ways Tolkien reconciled other oppositions, including paganism and Christianity, good and evil, home and wayside, war and peace, embellishment and simplicity, hierarchy and the common man.
Even those who do not know Beowulf, the Arthurian tales, or northern European mythology come away from The Lord of the Rings with a feeling for Britain's historical and literary past. Those who recognize the sources behind Tolkien - and the skill with which he combines these sources - gain far more. Perilous Realms gives this advantage to all readers and provides new discoveries, including material from obscure, little-known Celtic texts and a likely new source for the name 'hobbit.' It is truly essential reading for Tolkien fans.

Smith of Wooton Major (ed Verlyn Flieger). Pub. September?. Publisher's details:

A new, expanded edition of one of Tolkien's major pieces of short fiction, and his only finished work dating from after publication of The Lord of the Rings; it contains many previously unpublished texts. In 1964 J.R.R. Tolkien was invited to write the preface to a new edition of "The Golden Key" by George MacDonald. Accepting the invitation, Tolkien proposed the preface would explain the meaning of Fairy through a brief story about a cook and a cake. But the story grew, and took on a life of its own, and the preface was abandoned. Tolkien eventually gave it the title, "Smith of Wootton Major", to suggest an early work by P.G. Wodehouse or a story in the Boy's Own paper. It was published in 1967 as a small hardback, complete with charming black and white illustrations by Pauline Baynes.
Now, almost 40 years on, a facsimile of this early illustrated edition is being republished, but in addition to this enchanting story the new edition includes: / Tolkien's own account of the genesis of the story / Tolkien's Time-Scheme and Characters / Tolkien's discussion of the shadowy but important figure of "Grandfather Rider" and a lengthy, 10,000-word essay on the nature of Faery / Early draft versions and alternative endings / Foreword by the editor, containing a brief history of the story's composition and publication, and its connection to Tolkien's other published stories Contained within "Smith of Wootton Major" are many intriguing links to the world of Middle-earth, as well as Tolkien's other tales, and in this 'extended edition' the reader will finally discover the full story behind this major piece of short fiction.

The JRR Tolkien Companion & Guide: A two volume work due out ? Don't know - its been promised for a couple of years. Latest publication date is October. Publishers details are:

Stunning slipcase containing the most comprehensive in-depth companion to Tolkien's life and works ever published, including synopses of all his writings, and a Tolkien gazetteer, who's who and chronology. Created to be the central reference work for readers and students of Tolkien, the two volumes contained in this slipcase approach his life from two different angles and give the most thorough analysis of Tolkien's work within the context of his life. The first volume includes brief but comprehensive introductions and notes on a wide range of topics, and points the way, through discussion and bibliographies, to further reading. It includes a Chronology and a Tolkien Who's Who, plus information about: * Tolkien's sources * political and social events through which Tolkien lived * the importance of poetry in Tolkien's work * his special interests such as astronomy, botany and calligraphy * the breadth of his reading * the importance of clubs and groups in his social life * his religion * his service in the 1914-18 war * his tendency to rewrite * his interest in every aspect of his books (covers, illustrations, lettering) * elements frequently found in his works: dragons, trees, etc.
* the 'Tolkien cult' and fan mail The second volume is the ultimate 'one-stop' reference text detailing the parallel chronologies of Tolkien's personal and academic life, and of his writings. The book draws it's information from a wide variety of reliable contemporary sources including biographies, Tolkien's letters, The Tolkien Family Album, correspondence with Allen & Unwin, C. S Lewis letters and the diaries of W.H. Lewis. Using these materials the book details, with tremendous accuracy, every aspect of Tolkien's life from births and deaths and moves of house to matters associated with Oxford University: Tolkien's visit to Rotterdam, his BBC broadcasts and significant Inkling meetings are all recorded and examined.

The Lord of the Rings Readers Companion: Single volume companion to LotR. Again promised October. Publishers details:

A unique companion to The Lord of the Rings which relates the textual history of the Nation's Favourite Read; with a previously unpublished Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings, written by Tolkien himself. In The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion internationally acclaimed scholars Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull examine Tolkien's masterpiece chapter by chapter, offering expert insights into its evolution, structure, and meaning. They discuss in close detail important literary and historical influences on the development of The Lord of the Rings, connections between that work and other writings by Tolkien, errors and inconsistencies, significant changes to the text during its fifty years of publication, archaic and unusual words used by Tolkien, and words and passages in his invented languages of Middle-earth. Thousands of notes, keyed to standard editions of The Lord of the Rings but universally accessible, reveal the richness and complexity of one of the most popular works of fiction in our time.
In addition to their own expertise and that of other scholars and critics, Hammond and Scull frequently draw upon comments by Tolkien himself, made in letters to family, friends, and enthusiasts, in draft texts of The Lord of the Rings, and in works written in later years which amplify or illuminate characters and events in the story. Extensive reference is made also to writings by Tolkien not previously or widely published, including elaborate time-schemes, an unfinished manuscript index to The Lord of the Rings, and most notably, the important Nomenclature or guide to names in The Lord of the Rings prepared for the use of translators, long out of print and now newly transcribed and printed in its entirety. With these resources at hand, even the most seasoned reader of The Lord of the Rings will come to a greater enjoyment and appreciation of Tolkien's magnificent achievement.

(Note: this is also included in a four volume boxed set with the three vols of LotR in the fiftieth anniversary version.

Re-reading the Lord of the Rings. Again, Probably October. Publisher's details:

J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy have become among of the most popular books of the twentieth century while the recent film adaptations have made box office records. This book provides a comprehensive, informed, critical and theoretical analysis of both the book and film trilogies. The book is organised in four thematic sections. Beginning with an analysis of the critical history of Tolkien, the first section, 'Context and Criticism', examines and contrasts the historical and intellectual context of the books, films and their criticism. The second, 'Space, Place and Communities', turns to the philosophical and post-colonial concerns which structure contemporary understandings of the book and film. The third section, 'Gender, Sexuality and Class', shows how these issues are depicted in the novels and films. The final section, 'Tolkien's Futures', looks at the continuing influence of his work in both more traditional literary forms and in contemporary game and electronic narratives.

Table of Contents
Criticism - Michael D. C. Drout, Wheaton College, Norton, MA
2. Time and Narrative Space - Barry Langford, Royal Holloway, University of London
3. Modernity - Michael Moses, Duke University
4. Gothic Echoes - Sue Zlosnik, Manchester Metropolitan University
5. Religion - Adam Roberts, Royal Holloway, University of London

Part II: Space, Place and Communities
6. Invisibility and Community - Robert Eaglestone, Royal Holloway, University of London
7. Dark Globalisation - Olivia Jennings, Royal Holloway, University of London
8. Home - Simon Malpas, Manchester Metropolitan University

Part III: Gender, Sexuality and Class
9. Anglo-Saxon Women, Tolkien's Women - Jennifer Neville, Royal Holloway, University of London
10. Masculinity - Holly A Crocker, University of Cincinnati
11. Homoeroticism - Dan Griffiths and Esther Saxey, both at University of Sussex
12. Service - Scott Kleinman, California State University, Northridge
Tolkein's Futures
13. Games - Barry Atkins, Manchester Metropolitan University
14. After Tolkien - Roz Kaveney.

[mark12_30]

Oooooooooo!!!!! Will littlemanpoet take the bait and purchase The History Of Smith Of Wooton major? Or will he resist to the last, desperately defending the mystery and thus the enchantment?

Ooooo!!!!!!!!!

...Iwonder if he'd leave the Downs altogether rather than risk losing Smith.

Ummmm.... Davem, ya wanna delete that section?

[Parmawen]

I know another new book out by Tolkien is Roverandom (I think I might have misspelled/butchered the name of it) It was a bed-time story for his son Christopher that's now being published. I read a bit of it...it's quite cute actually!!!

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

Some of you may remember a now somewhat hoary thread in which Dininziliel and I discussed the intended publication of Tolkien's two translations of Beowulf. According to their editor, Professor Michael Drout, the prose translation was due to be published last year and the verse version, which I'm sure will be of interest to fans of Tolkien, should be released this year. The prose translation never appeared and the release of the verse translation seems ever more doubtful. I may have found out why.

Not long ago, my M.A. supervisor ran into Professor Drout at a conference. Apparently his permission to print the work has been withdrawn by the Tolkien estate. I don't know why that is, but it was suggested to me that the estate's executor might be hoping for a more lucrative offer from another source. Hopefully that's just a rumour and Professor Drout, who is himself a respected Old English scholar, will be allowed to publish eventually. I would hope that the estate can be persuaded that a philological work such as this should be edited by an established philologist, and that in this case the potential scholarly kudos should outweigh any hypothetical cash. I would also hope that however matters transpire we shall see the Tolkien Beowulf on the shelves very soon.

[mark12_30]

Originally Posted by The Squatter of Amon Rûdh

I would also hope that however matters transpire we shall see the Tolkien Beowulf on the shelves very soon.

Here, here.

[Lalwendë]

I saw The Lord of the Rings - A Reader's Companion in Waterstone's on Friday. Did I buy it? Of course... It's surprisingly out in paperback already, and is cheap too. It matches a new trilogy paperback set in white covers. There is also a new one volume in a nice 'gold' cover.

It would have been the perfect book for accompanying the CbC discussions, as it runs through each chapter, including appendices; though I must admit I've actually preferred not having a scholarly tome around sometimes. It may be very useful for going back to older discussions though, and will also be a help in any general threads which might come up. The book basically details all the changes in the new edition so you can pinpoint where the differences lie; but not only does it do this, it also considers any interesting points in each chapter, whether with notes from Tolkien's papers and other writings, or with excerpts from critical works.

It also has the 'Nomenclature' or translators' guide to names in LotR - this was written by Tolkien for translators to help them in their work and was available in an old edition of Tolkien Compass (much sought after on e-bay), but not in the most recent edition. Another extra in the book is the missing part of the letter to Milton Waldman which was left out of Letters.

Well worth buying.

I've also just got the More People's Guide To JRR Tolkien by TheOneRing.net - this looks interesting. It has Q&As with Verlyn Flieger and Karen Wynn Fonstad among others and the usual mix of articles.

[Lalwendë]

Not strictly speaking a book, nor is it Tolkien, but I don't know where else to put it and it will no doubt be of interest to some 'Downers....

I've just got a Christmas issue of Radio Times and it includes a free CD - a new dramatisation of CS Lewis's Prince Caspian. This is part 1 and the next two issues will have the final two parts, apparently. The CD also has CD-ROM content from the Narnia film.

It's the issue with a Christmassy TARDIS on the cover (and 10 page Doctor Who 'special', something else not to be sniffed at).

[davem]

Another interesting new Tolkien book out in April from Oxford University Press:
The Ring of Words

[davem]

Update on Ring of Words. It should be published by now (in the UK at least) & looks to be the most important work on Tolkien since Garth's Tolkien & the Great War. You can download a PDF of the Preface here

[zifnab]

I hope this new-fangled innovative onslaught of revised, reissued, reorganized, revamped and redressed pieces of literature doesn't turn into a materialistic juggernaut of business associates that see the color green in their eyes, as they find a scrap of paper under a chair, somewhere in Europe, and turn it into a 487 page history of why Tolkien considered Bombadil to be Jesus Christs twin brother.
Just cause it's got a shiny new leather cover, and one fact out of forty three right, doesn't mean we should run out and gooble it up as if we were all jabberwockies. But hey...I aint saying that I'm no optimist.

Sometimes I gotta take a break and read some Vance or Wolfe, to appreciate the soothing flow of the old Ronald Reuel River to guide my thoughts for me.

But don't listen to me, I can't even hear myself.

[davem]

Zifnab. I understand your point & sympathise with it. However, Ring of Words is one of the most fascinating books on Tolkien I've ever read. It covers his time at the OED, & offers some fascinating insights into his approach to language. It also gives detailed etymologies of a hundred words he uses in the books & explores in depth the way he used them. The book has received high praise from Wayne Hammond & is, as I stated, up there with Garth's biography & Flieger's recent 'Interrupted Music' – imo.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

It sounds like interesting stuff to me. Good to know that you have read it, davem, and that you enjoyed it to boot! I will have to ponder a purchase now.

[davem]

Very important book on The Hobbit: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...420348-4703108

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Looks like another good one. Interesting to see in the description that Tolkien was thinking of making TH more in the style of LotR.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Davem,

Thanks so much for that link.

Some comments about the Baggins book. I have been waiting for this almost 20 years! It's my understanding the job was first delegated to Taum Santoski (an American who had ties to the Marquette collection where the manuscripts are). I know he was working on it way back in the 1980s. I believe the task was actually delegated to him by Christopher Tolkien, who decided not to do The Hobbit when he took up the history of middle-earth.

Santoski died from cancer in 1991 (an early, tragic death), and the Baggins book was then delegated to John Rateliff, who also had ties to Marquette. The only interview I've ever seen with Rateliff on the net is here. He has an "interesting" background. I believe he went to Marquette and earned a doctorate there because of the presence of the Tolkien manuscipts. Apparently he earns a living by working with roleplaying games like D & D, Wizards of the Coast, etc. ! (He was also connected with Decipher's Lord of the Rings game, which was intentionally geared more to the books than other rpgs.)

For years, they kept pushing back the publication date of this book so I am surprised and happy to see that it's actually going to come out. I had gotten to the point where I was beginning to think it would never see the light of day.

Here is Rateliff's description (from the interview above) of the contents of this book:

The big project, which I've been working on for years and will finally be sending to the publisher near the end of this year, is a book called The History of The Hobbit . It's rather along the lines of Christopher Tolkien's editions that make up the History of Middle-Earth series (which I highly recommend if you haven't read them): an edition of the original manuscript of The Hobbit with extensive commentary on how Mr. Baggins' story fits into Tolkien's legendarium. It's a big book filled with the entire text of Tolkien's first draft, along with short essays about everything from rings of invisibility or Tolkien's spiders to a detailed account of just when Tolkien wrote the book (which can actually be reconstructed from available evidence to within a month or two on either end). I hope people will like it when it finally sees the light of day.

If he's really done this, it will be amazing! What makes this book especially interesting is that it has the personal blessing of Christopher Tolkien. Before the reading copy was sent to the publisher, it was submitted to Christopher to comment: May 3, 2006 blog entry.

Davem (or anyone else) -- if you know anything more about Rateliff, what's in his book, or the history of this title, please let me know. I have been following this story since the eighties, but it's always been kind of elusive. Let's just hope publication isn't delayed beyond September.

[davem]

Originally Posted by Child

Let's just hope publication isn't delayed beyond September.

Well, Amazon UK on the link gives publication as May 8th next year. Of course, that could be wrong, but as next year is the 70th anniversary of the publication of TH I suspect its likely. The only edition I'm aware of is the one in the link, published by Harper Collins here in the UK. Don't know if its being published in the US, so anyone outside the UK may have to get it on import. I don't think Houghton Mifflin have published a US edition of the recent SoWM edited by Flieger either.

As far as I'm aware the only thing CT has written specifically on the development of TH is the Introductory essay he wrote for this recent edition of TH: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...420348-4703108
(16 pages long with colour plates of manuscript pages - also including a fold-out Thror's map with the moon-runes printed in reverse on the back as Tolkien wished, so that when the map in held up to the light they show through- like magic!).

EDIT found this:

In a paper by John Rateliff, given in October 2004 and published about
a month ago, it is also stated the forthcoming publishing of The
History of the Hobbit. John Rateliff even cites a section or chapter
by name:

"It can hardly be coincidence that as late as 1940, when writing the
opening chapter of The Hobbit, Tolkien felt free to include not only
references to Beren,... [more of his mythology]... but also to the Gobi
Desert, Hindu Kush, and "the Wild were-Worms of the Chinese" as past of
Bilbo's world. (40)

40. See Rateliff, "The Pryftan Fragment", in _The History of The
Hobbit_, forthcomming."

And in bibliography it appears as:

Rateliff, John D. The history of the Hobbit. London: Harper Collins,
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, forthcoming.

here

Of course, as one of the posters points out first chapter of TH was written long before 1940, so probably a typo (for 1930??). However the 'Wild Were-Worms in the Last Desert' do appear in the published TH.

[Lalwendë]

That all makes me wonder exactly what the story Tolkien told to his own children was like! I imagine it was very different to The Hobbit that we know today.

[Mithalwen]

Another reason I wish CT would tell us more of what he remembers as well as what he has documentary evidence for... there are flashes of dry wit in his annotations that make me think that a memoir would be a fabulous read.....

[Child of the 7th Age]

Mithalwen,

There is supposed to be another book coming out in the fall that has at least some "remembrances", including that of CT. It is J.R.R. Tolkien: Interviews, Reminiscences, and other Essays by Douglas Anderson and Marjorie Burns, Houghton Mifflin Co., to be published October 21, 2007.

Some of the essays and such are "new"; others are interviews and contributions that were done some years ago but weren't widely available. They are said to be "lively and loving testimonials." The book features reminiscences from CT, Priscilla Tolkien, Michael Tolkien, the lexicographer of the OED, Robert Murray (in view of the interesting public letters, I'd like to see this one), Donald Swann, L. Sprague de Camp, Norman Power (?) and Raymond Unwin. They also include the unedited transcript of the BBC interview.

I have my fingers crossed that the October publication date is "real" as it has been pushed back twice before. I am looking forward to seeing this book. I know it's available for pre-order through amazon.com (the U.S. one...I'm not sure about the British).

[AbercrombieOfRohan]

Has anyone heard of this? It's a new (as in I've only just heard of it) Tolkien book that my English teacher just recommended to me. He had to pre-order his copy though, because it hasn't yet been published in the United States.

[davem]

Originally Posted by AbercrombieOfRohan

Has anyone heard of this? It's a new (as in I've only just heard of it) Tolkien book that my English teacher just recommended to me. He had to pre-order his copy though, because it hasn't yet been published in the United States.

Yeah - I linked to it in post 8 here. I have it. Very good book.

[davem]

More Expense

http://www.routledge-ny.com/ref/tolkien/index.html

If anyone wants to treat me my birthday is August 20th, but I don't mind a late present.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by davem

More Expense

http://www.routledge-ny.com/ref/tolkien/index.html

If anyone wants to treat me my birthday is August 20th, but I don't mind a late present.

I dunno, davem, that price sounds more like a group gift for a wedding present. Any likely BD candidates for that?

[davem]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

I dunno, davem, that price sounds more like a group gift for a wedding present. Any likely BD candidates for that?

I'm not sharing it. A man has his priorities!

[Lalwendë]

My Preciousssss

Not far away was his secret bookshelf, of which Lalwende knew nothing, and there in his hiding-place he kept a few wretched oddments, his wallet (a Yorkshireman is careful with his money) and one very beautiful thing, very beautiful, very wonderful. He had a book, a £100 book, a precious book.
"My birthday-present!"he whispered to himself, as he had often done in the endless dark days. "That's what we wants now, yes; we wants it!"

He wanted it because it was a book of power, and if you slipped that book in your hand, you were powerful; only in the full light of Tolkien scholarship could you be seen, and then only by your masterful choice of hard to find Verlyn Flieger quotes, and those would be obscure and confusing.

"My birthday-present! It came to me on my birthday my precious,"so he had always said to himself. But who knows how davem came by that present, ages ago in the old days when such books were still cheap at half the price on e-bay?

...

[narfforc]

Lal, tell Davem to save his money, The Lord of the Grins will be out by then, and at the bargain price of £99.99 he will have a whole penny spare, now you know how excited he will be having saved that huge ammount, so break it to him gently...............


P.S The book looks good I will have to have it before Davem so that I can quote from it, and he won't know..

Gnash Gnash Garrrr..

I can hear him from here to ear.....

[Child of the 7th Age]

$175????

How am I going to come up with that much money? I really do want that book and think it's worth it, but that is extraordinarily expensive!

That list of topics covered is amazing. Click here

Also, the list of contributors......

[davem]

[QUOTE=Child of the 7th Age]$175????

How am I going to come up with that much money? I really do want that book and think it's worth it, but that is extraordinarily expensive!

[QUOTE]

Especially as its out just one month after Hammond & Scull's long awaited Companion & Guide

[Child of the 7th Age]

And here's another one for your consideration: Tolkien and Shakespeare.

A real bargain....only $35. I am not sure what to expect from this title. It could be interesting or very disappointing. I did like the book Janet Croft edited concerning the film adaptation of LotR and her comments on fanfic, but I did not know she had a background in this other area.

[davem]

And this one

[Child of the 7th Age]

Davem

I have that Croft book on Middle-earth and war and am just beginning to read it now. I'll let you know my impressions when I finish.

Has anyone read this or do you know anything about it? The Keys of Middle-earth: Discovering Medieval Literature through the Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien by Stuart Lee, published december 2005, Palgrave MacMillan.

At first glance, I thought it was just another beginner's text that publishes excerpts from medieval lit and tries to tie them in with Tolkien. There are several of those and I could defnitely pass that by. But one of the reviews on UK Amazon mentions that Tolkien's unpublished lecture notes are quoted. I am always interested in texts that give us access to archival material that is either hard to get hold of or even impossible to see because of restrictions on access. Plus Palgrave MacMillan has put out some decent stuff.

Here is one part of the review on this book:,

As well as taking you through some of the basics of medieval literature (Tolkien's academic background of course), what I found fascinating about this book was the material from Tolkien's unpublished lecture notes. This gives a new insight into his work as a scholar, and occasionally (as with the piece about the Rohirrim and their possible link to the Anglo-Saxons) a new insight into his thinking. It really does bridge the gap between his mythology and his studies.....

The link between the A-S and the Rohirrim is definitely mentioned in other places, so I am not sure how significant that reference is. But I am intrigued by his mention of lecture notes, which I've not seen elsewhere. Anyone know anything about these original lecture notes or this particular book?

[davem]

Originally Posted by Child

But one of the reviews on UK Amazon mentions that Tolkien's unpublished lecture notes are quoted. I am always interested in texts that give us access to archival material that is either hard to get hold of or even impossible to see because of restrictions on access. Plus Palgrave MacMillan has put out some decent stuff.

Don't know of it. As to the 'unpublished lecture notes', I suspect its referring to Finn & Hengest , which was edited by Alan Bliss (actually what he did was gather together Tolkien's lecture notes). Downloading the sample from here (which is mostly the index) it seems that there are lots of references to those notes from F&H.

Don't know if F&H is published in the US, but Harper Collins publish it in the UK.

I've just bought Somme , which has 5 or 6 references to Tolkien, so I'm about too make a start on that (I suspect most of the references come from Garth's book, which is cited in the bibliography).

[Lalwendë]

The other day I found a new book, The Roots of Middle Earth, written by a Tolkien Society member (and endorsed by them). It's not an earth-shattering read but is very interesting, particularly if anyone is fancying a trip to Brum to find Tolkien's old stamping grounds, and it is filled with lovely old pictures which the author has sourced from postcard fairs, including pics of Sarehole Mill and the Cole valley as it used to look.

This one will likely be of great interest to local history buffs in Birmingham too.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Thanks, Davem.

I see from your link there is a second author and she is a librarian in the Bodleian archives so I am a little more inclined to buy this. (OK, I am biased here, but librarians generally know their collections better than anyone else, including profs and perhaps they did fiddle around in the archives.) US Amazon lists paper copies for about $20.

You may be right about Finn and Hengest and the lecture notes. I don't own that one because the hardcover came out in the eighties in the US by Houghton Mifflin. Those copies are hard to find. The recent paperback was only published in the UK. You can get reasonably priced copies on Amazon U.S. but must pay for shipping from the UK.

One of the nice things is that I live near the Rice University library. They have a decent Tolkien collection because Jane Chance has taught there a number of years and apparently had them build up holdings in that area. Looking for these books sounds like a good excuse for a trip to the library and a day on the Rice campus. I'll post here if I find anything interesting.

[davem]

I haven't read Finn & Hengest - one of the few Tolkien works I don't possess - after picking up Mr Bliss a few weeks back.

If you want the UK edition you can get it for less than $10 including P&P from The Book Depository. I've used them before & they're very good.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Thanks Davem. The Book Depository is the same source as given in the US Amazon but it looks as if the price is a little lower when you order direct.

[davem]

Re History of The Hobbit by John Rateliff, apparently Houghton Mifflin are to publish the book in September 2007 according to the latest issue of Beyond Bree (haven't read the issue, just seen a report). If true then we in the UK are getting it four months early

...er that should be I suppose

"[QUOTE=Child of the 7th Age]Thanks, Davem.

I see from your link there is a second author and she is a librarian in the Bodleian archives so I am a little more inclined to buy this. (OK, I am biased here, but librarians generally know their collections better than anyone else, including profs and perhaps they did fiddle around in the archives.) US Amazon lists paper copies for about $20."

Actually it is unpublished lecture notes. Tolkien's notes from Oxford (and some from Leeds) are all contained in the Bodleian library. The authors have gone through these and pulled out things mainly relating to his literature lectures/unpublished editions and used them. The piece about the Rohirrim comes from his lectures in a box called A30/1 (?). Anyway it says 'No one would learn anything valid about the 'Anglo-Saxons' from any of my lore, not even that concerning the Rohirrim. I never intended that they should'. The authors argue that this explains Tolkien's reluctance to link the Rohirrim to the Anglo-Saxons - namely he was wearing his lecturer's hat and did not want people to think they could learn about that period of history.

Looking through the book there are lots of quotes from various A29s and A30s which I kind of guess are the boxes in the library.

F&H gets a mention in a chapter on 'The Fight at Balin's Tomb' where the texts presented are 'The Fight at Finnsburg' and something called 'Cynewulf and Cyneheard' (from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle).


Woz

[Child of the 7th Age]

Woz,

First, welcome to the Downs. I hope you'll stick around.

Secondly, thanks so much for that detailed information. It's very helpful and looks as if it would be worthwhile for me to pick up this book.

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Summer is my time for extra reading. I recently purchased a book The Lord of the Rings, 1954-2004: Scholarship in Honor of Richard E. Blackwelder" published by Marquette University Press. These were papers given at a conference at Marquette in October 2004. I have only delved into the chapters here and there, but the contributors do look interesting: Douglas Anderson, Verlyn Flieger, John Garth, Wayne Hammond, Carl Hostetter, John Rateliffe, T.A. Shippey, Michael Drout and the list goes on.

Has anyone read this collection of essays? Hopefully, I'll let you know what I think after I get further into the book.

No, it's a new one on me. I've read the one from the Oxford symposium many years ago (did Mythlore publish that)? Which was hit and miss. I'll certainly look out for that, thanks.

Woz