There and Back Again : J R R Tolkien and the Origins of the Hobbit

Explores the chief influences on J R R Tolkien's work: his boyhood in the West Midlands; the landscapes and seascapes which shaped his mythologies; his experiences in World War I; his interest in Scandinavian myth; his friendships, especially with the other Oxford-based Inklings; and relevance of his themes, especially ecological themes, today.