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Publication years of primary & secondary literature
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The Road to Middle-earth: How J.R.R. Tolkien created a New Mythology, by Tom Shippey, is a thorough "diachronic"[1] analysis of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy works from the perspective of a fellow philologist; last revised in 2003, and first published by Allen & Unwin in 1982. It is regarded a hallmark of Tolkien scholarship.

"Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey shows in great detail how Tolkien's professional background led him in his philological exploits, and to writing The Hobbit. Examining also the philological foundations of The Lord of the Rings, Shippey discusses the contributions of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales to Tolkien's myth cycle, revealing how his denser works can be fully appreciated. He goes on to examine the twelve-volume The History of Middle-earth, which Christopher Tolkien wrote and compiled, tracing the creative and technical process by which Middle-earth evolved."
From the publisher
TheRoadToMiddleEarth

Cover of the 1983 release

It preceded J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century, a book by Shippey for a slightly wider readership.

Two editions by HarperCollins, released in 1997 and 2005, feature cover illustrations by Alan Lee.

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