Tolkien: A Biography

Rating:
Summary: Quick down and dirty on Tolkien
Review: Have you read and re-read LOTR over the years, purchased all of the movies but don't know much about JRR Tolkien's background and personal life? If so, then this book may be the ticket. It's not a big biography and can actually be read in a day or two.
But what a wealth of info and personal tidbits!
1) Tolkien was a devoted father of four. But he had some personal baggage. For example he had a somewhat rocky relationship with his wife. After teaching all day and grading papers, he hung out at the local pub with C.S. Lewis and crew to drink brewskis after work. Tolkien did however spend a lot of time with his kids and he was a doting father of four..one wonders where he found the time to write. Apparently, he would work after everyone was asleep (10 pm) and then delve into his writing until around 2 am! An increadible schedule which seems to be a typical success pattern for achievers. They always seem to find the time.
2) His relationship with C.S. Lewis was strained after 20 years which by then they scarcely aknowledged one another. Tolkien was both jealous and resentful of CS Lewis. For example, Tolkien hated "the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". But the Inklings in the 50's was where he got his muse.
3) Tolkien was a strict Roman Catholic...he hated the Church of England and didn't exactly have a lot of tolerance for non-catholics. He was a man of his times..very conservative and opinionated.
4) The section on his war experience is pretty good too. Many people are not aware that Tolkien served in WWI trenches.
Overall, this biography is a wealth of info on J.R.R. Tolkien and a real eye-opener. I highly recommend it to Tolkien lovers.

Rating:
Summary: Short and concise
Review: I read this book in just one day, wanting to know more about Tolkien. The chapters are all interestig. The author spent a great time going about his most famous book, The Lord Of The Rings. Altough White clearly loves Tolkien's writing, he does not worship him, and manages to produce well balanced commentaries.

Rating:
Summary: interesting
Review: I thought the book, being short, was well done. I'm not a tolkien, the man, fan, myself, I just like the books he wrote. It was short enough to keep me interested and didn't go into tolkien worship. He was a man just like any of us. White didn't go into intense depth like some of the other authors, who border on tolkien worship. This book is for those who want to skim his life, his associations, like C.S. Lewis, his wife, etc., to see who he really is really quickly and go on. The few supposed 'errors' as some other reviewers put it, are completely outweighed by the many facts put forth by the author that paint the picture as it is done in other works, but at 30,000 feet. Like I said before if you want more depth and concise tolkien history go to some other book.

Rating:
Summary: Skye Rockets
Review: I'm a major Tolkien fan, thanks to my dad, and I thought reading this book would be a great way to learn more about Tolkien's life and what influenced his writing and ideas. It started off as a great read, until I got to the end of page 86, where it suddenly skipped to page 119!!!!!!!!!!! The middle of chapter five turns into the middle of chapter 7. I bought the book at a Borders bookstore in Michigan and I have already gone back and placed an ordered for another copy, but I am hoping other copies are not missing pages. I did enjoy reading this book because the author delves deep into Tolkien's life to give the reader all aspects. I recommend this book to any Tolkien fan. Hopefully, I will get another copy soon!!

Rating:
Summary: Michael White's misunderstandings
Review: White frequently attempts to make vivid and interesting things he knows nothing about. Thus, he describes Tolkien's gruelling introductory training in the British army and the intense preparatory training for trench warfare at Etaples as "idle time." He also writes that at Etaples, soldiers had little to worry about aside from mines and snipers. In fact, Etaples was so far from the front that neither of these endangered the troops there. White, moreover, describes soldiers greasing their bayonets as they moved in trains toward the fighting. In fact, the bayonets were oiled. Some reading of the standard British Great War memoirs by Sassoon and Graves, who served in the trenches, would have kept White from his egregious mistakes.