J.R.R. Tolkien: Codemaker, Spy-Master, Hero

From Tolkien Gateway
J.R.R. Tolkien: Codemaker, Spy-Master, Hero
J.R.R. Tolkien codemaker,spy-master,hero 2015.jpg
AuthorElansea (Alex Lewis and Elizabeth Currie)
PublisherAmazon (CreateSpace Independent Publishing)
Released26 April 2015
FormatPaperback
Pages638
ISBN978-1511837118

J.R.R. Tolkien: Codemaker, Spy-Master, Hero: an unauthorised biography, written by "Elansea", with consulting editors Alex Lewis and Elizabeth Currie, is a biographical book about J.R.R. Tolkien.

Critical reception[edit | edit source]

Wayne G. Hammond, reviewing the book, is not convinced by the authors' thesis, and says the he does "not believe for a moment that Tolkien was a secret agent". He claims that the book lacks supporting evidence, and that its thesis would require a conspiracy theory "as well as forged documents and the destruction of evidence".[1][2]

The participants of the Swedish-language Tolkien Seminary (led by Beregond, Anders Stenström) came to the conclusion that the main thesis of the book is solely argued negatively (along the line of "it is not known what Tolkien was doing these days, perhaps he was doing this"), thus suggesting weak evidence. A positive aspect about the book, however, is that the reasoning is clear and to-the-point.[3]

From the publisher[edit | edit source]

A new biography of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings - voted as 'book of the 20th century'. In this biography the consulting editors put forward a compelling case that Professor Tolkien was not the ivory tower Professor who did little other than suddenly publish two best sellers, but that he had a parallel career in Intelligence. With careful examination of Tolkien's existing biographies and the inadequacies of the explanations given and perpetuated from one biographer to the next, a persuasive picture is built up of what Tolkien may have been involved in over a period of decades. The writings themselves are amongst the most revealing proof of Tolkien's preoccupation with espionage and Intelligence and they are analysed closely and carefully. This biography is ground breaking and overturns decades of held belief. It will mark a start of a new phase in Tolkien criticism that takes the post Cold War era into account.

References

  1. Wayne G. Hammond, "Tolkien Biographies Continued, Part Two" dated 10 December 2015, wayneandchristina.wordpress.com/ (accessed 10 February 2017)
  2. Wayne G. Hammond, "Tolkien Biographies Continued, Part Three" dated 8 July 2016, wayneandchristina.wordpress.com/ (accessed 10 February 2017)
  3. Beregond, Anders Stenström, "14 april 2016" dated 10 February 2017, tolkienseminariet.wordpress.com (accessed 10 February 2017)