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History Series: J.R.R. Tolkien

History of J.R.R. Tolkien: Over 100 Years Ago

Happy Birthday!

Bill Petro

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Happy birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien: January 3, 1892, the same year my grandfather was born.

In honor of his birthday, here’s an article I wrote seven years ago in 2017. It describes the love affair I’ve had with Tolkien’s trilogy for almost 60 years:

I’m reading J.R.R. Tolkien‘s latest book, published in June, Beren and Luthien, which he began writing 100 years ago. How is that possible, when he died in 1973?

His youngest son and literary executor — Christopher Tolkien, who is now 93 — has been publishing his father’s unfinished works over the last 40 years, starting with the prequel to The Lord of the Rings, namely the epic pre-history, The Silmarillion back in 1977.

Indeed, he published more of his father’s books after his father’s death in 1973 than his father brought to printed form while he was alive. This summer, perhaps for the last time, as he recounts in the preface to this book, he brings his father’s works to life one more time. This time, it is Tolkien’s most beloved romance.

Christopher Tolkien has taken other stories from the legendarium and turned them into books. Most notable was The Children of Hurin, which J.R.R. had written…

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Bill Petro
Bill Petro

Written by Bill Petro

Historian, technologist, blogger/podcaster. Former Silicon Valley tech exec. Author of articles on history, tech, pop culture, & travel. https://billpetro.com

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