The study of Tolkien’s work is a young but growing branch of literary studies. The first section here consists of books by scholars who are greatly admired by The Tolkien Professor. The next section contains links to Tolkien Studies, the foremost journal of Tolkien criticism, edited by Douglas Anderson, Michael Drout, and Verlyn Flieger. Finally, there is a small section on some remarkable books relating to the maps and visual art of Tolkien’s world.
J.R.R. Tolkien
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Humphrey Carpenter
The authorized biography; a classic.
The Inklings
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Humphrey Carpenter
The lives and friendship of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams.
J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century
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Tom Shippey
The cornerstone of Tolkien scholarship.
The Road to Middle-Earth
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Tom Shippey
Shippey places Tolkien’s work in its philological, philosophical, and literary context.
J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide
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Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull
Comprehensive reference works for all things Tolkien.
Understanding the Lord of the Rings
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Neil Isaacs and Rose Zimbardo
Seminal essays, especially valuable for early essays by Lewis and Auden.
Splintered Light
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Verlyn Flieger
The classic study of language and mythology in Tolkien’s works.
Interrupted Music
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Verlyn Flieger
A study of the careful construction of Tolkien’s myths.
The Philosophy of Tolkien
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Peter Kreeft
An examination of the underlying philosophy of Tolkien’s works by an eminent philosopher.
The Gospel According to Tolkien
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Ralph Wood
A study of the deeply Christian theology of Tolkien’s mythology.
Tolkien Studies
Tolkien Studies
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Volume 1, 2004
Articles by Shippey, Anderson, Drout, and Flieger, as well as Tolkien’s Middle-English edition of Sir Orfeo.
Tolkien Studies
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Volume 2, 2005
More good essays, plus meaty book reviews and an annual bibliography.
Tolkien Studies
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Volume 3, 2006
Another collection of solid essays and thorough reviews.
Tolkien Studies
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Volume 4, 2007
Still more good essays, and this time with more reviews than ever.
Tolkien Studies
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Volume 5, 2008
Containing the first published article by the Tolkien Professor.
Art and Atlases
J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator
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Hammond and Scull
A study of Tolkien’s visual art.
The Atlas of Middle-Earth
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Karen Wynn Fonstad
A wonderful study of Tolkienian geography.
The Maps of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth
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Brian Sibley
Featuring maps drawn by John Howe.
Tolkien’s World
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Featuring the art of Ted Naismith, Alan Lee, John Howe, and others.
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