A Hobbit, A Wardrobe and a Great War

How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918

By: Joseph Loconte

Narrated by: Dave Hoffman

Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

The untold story of how the First World War shaped the lives, faith, and writings of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.

Had there been no Great War, there would have been no Hobbit, no Lord of the Rings, no Narnia, and perhaps no conversion to Christianity by C. S. Lewis.

The First World War laid waste to a continent and brought about the end of innocence — and the end of faith. Unlike a generation of young writers who lost faith in the God of the Bible, however, J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis found that the Great War deepened their spiritual quest. Both men served as soldiers on the Western Front, survived the trenches, and used the experience of that conflict to ignite their Christian imagination.

Tolkien and Lewis produced epic stories infused with the themes of guilt and grace, sorrow and consolation. Giving an unabashedly Christian vision of hope in a world tortured by doubt and disillusionment, the two writers created works that changed the course of literature and shaped the faith of millions. This is the first book to explore their work in light of the spiritual crisis sparked by the conflict.

©2015 Joseph Loconte (P)2015 Thomas Nelson Publishers

Some facts not correct

I am a huge fan of both Lewis and Tolkien’s work. However a lot of facts were incorrect for instance Shasta was quoted when it should’ve been Bree, and Legolas had the wrong title of king rather than Prince. All in all I loved hearing the connections, and if you read this book you will never read these books the same way again.

Opens up the Inkling mindset

For those of us very familiar with Lewis’ and Tolkien’s writings as well as the history of the Great Wars this commentary brings the worlds together. My only critique is pronunciations by the reader. Magdalene College, Christendom, and Tolkien are consistently pronounced incorrectly. Great read!

One of the best books I have ever read!!

Great book. I will definitely read this book again. I recommend it very highly.

An Amazing Analysis

I have been a fan of both C.S.Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and their works for many, many years. But there was so much I didn't know about their lives, particularly their military service during World War I and how it affected the fantasy worlds they both created.

I enjoyed filling in the gaps with the help of this informative, and clearly well researched, book.

Eloquent and informative

I love the comparison of the Tolkien and Lewis stories  and the great war. Very poetic in his style. 

Fantastic

This book is a great listen. I thoroughly enjoyed the material presented and the narration. The in depth study of two of my favorite authors and the impact of WW1 on them, on their generation, on their faith, and on their writing was absolutely riveting. If you like the works of both these authors, I encourage you to listen to this book. I am going to re-read the books just to savor the added depth of insight this book has given me into what both authors experienced in WW1.

New perspective on the Great War and both authors

This book is intriguing both as historical study of both the causes and deep effects of the Great War, particularly on matters of faith, as well as a biographical study of both Lewis and Tolkien's time in the war and their friendship afterwards. The book gives enough information to allow the reader to make their own conclusions and begin to see potential connections, but does not dictate a 'correct' viewing of the links. Rather it presents the information in a clear manner with appropriate passages which demonstrate potential evidence of the War's effect. A book which causes more thought and reason for questions and curiosity in reading than direct answers.

Beautifully woven, inspiring for any true lover of Narnia and middle earth!

Loved this beautifully sewn quilt of history, pain, hope, realism, and redemption. A rare treat.

Absolutely magnificent.

This description of how these two men, Lewis and Tolkien, set out to uphold ideals of valor, honor, faith, hope, and love, in a time and culture of deep cynicism that had wholly turned their backs on those ideals, gives me a new reverence for these men's works. While a better part of the world rejected these virtues, believing them to be the very things that had duped so many young men to go to their deaths, these two men argued that these virtues were what gave life its meaning, and were the very things all men should aspire toward. all in all, this is a great book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Loved a timely book for our world today

I loved all of the world view insight into the authors and how the context of the world war contributed. It is a very timely book for people today.