John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's novels were strongly influenced by his childhood both in South Africa, where lions prowled and wild beasts roamed, and in the English countryside, where he imagined that elves and gnomes dwelled. J. R. R. Tolkien wrote many stories, studied languages--even inventing one of his own--and founght bravely in World War I. He wrote The Hobbit, a children's book about a courageous creature with pointed ears and furry feet, which was an instant success. His next book, The Lord of the Rings,made Tolkien, an ordinary man with an extraordinary imagination, one of the world's most beloved authors. Includes a time line and bibliography.