User talk:Astraflame/Tolkien Key Studies

Biographical studies

What are the biographical studies that have been omitted? I would list the following as the major biographical sources (though this does not include materials such as newspaper interviews and archival materials):

• J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography (Humphrey Carpenter)
• The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien (Humphrey Carpenter)
• Tolkien and the Great War (John Garth) review
• The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide (Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull)
• J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator (Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull)
• The Roots of Tolkien's Middle-earth (Bob Blackham) [there is a review by Shippey in Tolkien Studies - Volume 4]
• Various unofficial and combined biographies over the years
  • Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship (Colin Duriez)
  • The Inklings (Humphrey Carpenter)
  • Tolkien: A Biography (Michael White)
  • Inklings (The Oxford Chronicles) (Melanie Jeschke)
  • Master of Middle Earth (Paul H. Kocher)
  • Tolkien: Man and Myth (Joseph Pearce)

Those last two (and the first one) are more "criticism" works than biographical works, but they all, I think, contain varying amounts of biographical stuff.

• Recent scholarship includes the work by Maggie Burns (a local historian in Birmingham, where Tolkien grew up). See here and here.

Oh, and not biographical stuff, but I found a useful resource here. Carcharoth (talk) 10:07, 7 September 2008 (UTC)

Very nice project. Kochers "Master of Middle Earth" is definitely more textual commentary than biography. Rateliffs "History of the Hobbit". is well worth adding to the key-studies - it goes much further in terms of source-studies and thematic extrapolation of the text than Christoperh Tolkien's HoME (which tends to provide little more than tracking of version changes, a daunting feat in itself but not always enlightening) and reflects much on the early silmarillion / Book of Lost Tales. Do you mind if I (or some one else) adds in links to Google Books where available? --Davémon (talk) 20:11, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Please do! and if you or any one else has any further comments on what should be added to the "Key Studies" list feel free to comment on them here or just go right ahead and add it to the page! Astraflame (talk) 02:45, 14 September 2008 (UTC)