This entertaining biography of the author takes readers back to his childhood in South Africa, his youth and adulthood in Great Britain, his experience in World War I, and his professorship at Oxford where Tolkien thought he had reached the pinnacle of his career. But it would be there that Tolkien would write "The Hobbit," the story that led to his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Photos.

Discusses the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien, whose contribution to literature is the fantasy world of Middle-earth, with its elves, dwarves, and hobbits.

Cabaret, have always been assumed to be largely autobiographical. Based in part on Isherwood’s private papersunavailable until nowthis fascinating book presents the real story of his life, a life that saw a relatively conventional boy become an acclaimed writer, mystic, and “grand old man” of the gay liberation movement. In the end, Isherwood: A Life portrays someone who misled as much as he revealed. Born in 1904, the heir to a large country...

Examines the life of George Orwell, the English author of "Animal Farm" and "1984," and discusses the political and social criticism disclosed in his work.

The life of A. A. Milne, the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, told in very simple language.

It is the story of Christopher Isherwood's parents, the winsome and lively daughter of a successful wine merchant and the reticent, artistically gifted soldier-son of a country squire. They met in 1895 outside a music rehearsal in an army camp and married in 1903 after Christopher's father returned from the Boer War. Frank was killed in an assault near Ypres in 1915; Kathleen remained a widow for the rest of her life. Their story is told through letters...

Describes the life and work of the renowned British fantasy writer, creator of the world of hobbits and Middle Earth, and author of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.