Tag Archives: JRR Tolkien

Commandos, Inklings, and powershell

Posted on May 11, 2022 by smellincoffee

If you can’t tell, dear readers, I’m in something of a reading funk — nibbling at many books but not immersed in any. Life has gotten busy recently: I’m now officially on a transplant list, a friend was just married, … Continue reading →

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A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and a Great War

Posted on April 12, 2018 by smellincoffee

A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and a Great War © 2014 Joseph Loconte 256 pages When some future Gibbon writes of the Decline and Fall of Western Civilization, he will have to devote a great deal of attention to the Great … Continue reading →

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Tolkien’s Sanctifying Myth

Posted on April 3, 2017 by smellincoffee

Tolkien’s Sanctifying Myth:  Understanding Middle-Earth © 2002 Brad Birzer 255 pages How better to kick off Read of England than by visiting the world of Tolkien, who has enraptured readers for decade after decade now?  Tolkien is not merely an … Continue reading →

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Podcast of the Week: Lewis, Tolkien, and the Great War

Posted on February 1, 2017 by smellincoffee

This week I’m highlighting #272 of the Art of Manliness podcast, an interview with the author of A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War.  This book examines C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien’s role in the Great War and delves … Continue reading →

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Bilbo’s Journey

Posted on April 9, 2016 by smellincoffee

Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of the Hobbit©  2012 Joseph Pearce147 pages The Hobbit begins with the sudden arrival of a pack of dwarves at Bilbo Baggin’s house. Though he is very much the quiet homebody, they have arrived … Continue reading →

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Frodo’s Journey

Posted on April 8, 2016 by smellincoffee

Frodo’s Journey: The Hidden Meaning of the Lord of the Rings © 2015 Joseph Pearce 158 pages Noting that Tolkien’s Lord of the Ring trilogy is rich with symbolism is rather akin to observing that the Pacific Ocean is big. … Continue reading →

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Return to Bag End

Posted on March 23, 2016 by smellincoffee

On March 25th, by the reckoning of the Shire,  the Ring of Power was cast into the Cracks of Doom and the vicious horde facing the Men of the West melted away.  I would it would be appropriate, therefore, to … Continue reading →

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Forward March

Posted on September 28, 2015 by smellincoffee

This past week I’ve made further progress on the 2015 reading challenge: Book on Bottom of To-Read Shelf:  The Search for Ice Age Americans As many times as I walk past this book in the library, I’ve never broken down … Continue reading →

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The Fellowship of the Ring

Posted on September 18, 2014 by smellincoffee

The Fellowship of the Ring, being the first part of the Lord of the Rings© 1954 J.R.R Tolkien570 pages Not many birthday gift involves a life-threatening quest to defeat a Dark Lord and prevent the enslavement of all living creatures, … Continue reading →

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The Hobbit

Posted on May 26, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Hobbit; or, There and Back Again© 1937 J. R. Tolkien. Collector’s edition published 1966.317 pages In the middle of the Earth, in the land of ShireLives a brave little hobbit whom we all admireWith his long wooden pipe,And fuzzy-wuzzy … Continue reading →

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