Synopsis
One of the most prolific letter writers of this century, Tolkien wrote to his publishers, to members of his family, to friends and to fans of his books, a mass of letters which often reveal the inner workings of his mind, and which record the history of composition of many of his stories. This selection represents, in Tolkien's own words, a highly detailed portrait of the man in his many aspects; storyteller, scholar, Catholic, parent of a large family and observer of the world around him. The letters include fresh information about Middle-earth and its inhabitants as well as analyses by Tolkien himself of the meanings of his stories. Finally, this book will entertain anyone who appreciates the art of letter-writing, of which Tolkien was a master.
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Review
‘So rich, it reads like an autobiography’
About the Author
Humphrey Carpenter, the author of THE BRIDESHEAD GENERATION and THE INKLINGS, among other books, was given unrestricted access to all of Tolkien's papers for his biography of Tolkien, J.R.R. TOLKIEN: A BIOGRAPHY.
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The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (1st edition.)
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George Allen and Unwin, 1981
ISBN 10: 0048260053
ISBN 13: 9780048260055
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First Edition
Seller: BoundlessBookstore, Wallingford, United Kingdom
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. 1st edition. Little wear to boards, Content is clean. with a slight even tone throughout and some spotting. Complete good DJ with little wear and faded spine. Seller Inventory # 9999-99996445422
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The Letters of J.R. Tolkein
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George Allen and Unwin Ltd., 1981
ISBN 10: 0048260053
ISBN 13: 9780048260055
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Seller: Book_Attic, Newark on Trent, United Kingdom
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Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Included. George Allen and Unwin Ltd.; 1981. Edited by Humphrey Carpenter with the assistance of Christopher Tolkein. Preowned. ISBN: 0048260053. Seller Inventory # 0101446
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The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0048260053I4N00
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The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Book is in very good condition. Small previous owner name inside cover. Seller Inventory # 017835
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The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Published by
George Allen & Unwin, 1981
ISBN 10: 0048260053
ISBN 13: 9780048260055
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Alpha 2 Omega Books BA, Southampton, HANTS, United Kingdom
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Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near fine. First UK edition-first impression. Fine/Near fine. George Allen & Unwin, 1981. First UK edition-first impression. Brown hardback (gilt lettering to the spine) in fine condition, with protected Dj (two small nicks and scratches on the edges of the Dj cover) in near fine condition. Nice and clean pages as new with a small nick on the outer edges. 464pp including Notes, index. A collectable first edition. Seller Inventory # 12568
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The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Edited by Humphrey Carpenter with the assistance of Christopher Tolkien.
Published by
Houghton Mifflin, 1981
ISBN 10: 0048260053
ISBN 13: 9780048260055
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Seller: Gregor Rare Books, Langley, WA, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. A Fine tight copy in a Fine unclipped dust jacket. The selection of the writer's correspondence contains 354 letters, dating between October 1914, when Tolkien was an undergraduate at Oxford, and 29 August 1973, four days before his death. Two notable exchanges concern Nazi Germany and war.in letters 29 and 30, it appears that a German translation of The Hobbit was being negotiated in 1938. The German firm enquired whether Tolkien was of Arisch (Aryan) origin. Tolkien was infuriated by this, and wrote two drafts of possible replies for his publisher to choose.[1] The first one is not present in it Tolkien is assumed to have refused to give any declaration whatsoever of his racial origins. The second, surviving, draft included: Thank you for your letter . I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people.A former signals officer at the Battle of the Somme, Tolkien frequently expressed his great dislike for war, whatever the cause. This is evident in a great many letters which he wrote during the Second World War to his son Christopher, which often invoke a sense of gloom. Notable among these is his reaction to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, in which he refers to the bombmakers of the Manhattan Project as "lunatics" and "Babel builders". Seller Inventory # 29194
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Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien : a selection / edited by Humphrey Carpenter, with the assistance of Christopher Tolkien
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London ; Boston : Allen & Unwin, 1981
ISBN 10: 0048260053
ISBN 13: 9780048260055
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Seller: MW Books Ltd., Galway, Ireland
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
1st edition. Fine cloth copy in an equally fine dust-wrapper, now mylar-sleeved. Particularly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong. Physical description; 463 pages, 1 unnumbered leaf of plates : facsimile ; 23 cm. Notes; Includes index. Subjects; Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) 1892-1973 ; Correspondence. Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) 1892-1973 ; Biography. Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) 1892-1973. 1900-1999. Authors, English 20th century ; Correspondence. Anglicists Great Britain ; Correspondence. Fantasy literature Authorship. Middle Earth (Imaginary place). 1 Kg. Seller Inventory # 428393
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Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien : a selection / edited by Humphrey Carpenter, with the assistance of Christopher Tolkien
Published by
London ; Boston : Allen & Unwin, 1981
ISBN 10: 0048260053
ISBN 13: 9780048260055
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: MW Books, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
1st edition. Fine cloth copy in an equally fine dust-wrapper, now mylar-sleeved. Particularly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong. Physical description; 463 pages, 1 unnumbered leaf of plates : facsimile ; 23 cm. Notes; Includes index. Subjects; Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) 1892-1973 ; Correspondence. Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) 1892-1973 ; Biography. Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) 1892-1973. 1900-1999. Authors, English 20th century ; Correspondence. Anglicists Great Britain ; Correspondence. Fantasy literature Authorship. Middle Earth (Imaginary place). 1 Kg. Seller Inventory # 428393
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The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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Hardcover. Condition: new. Excellent Condition.Excels in customer satisfaction, prompt replies, and quality checks. Seller Inventory # Scanned0048260053