I've been chasing my tail for weeks but finally have some time off from the day job. And my top priority is the small matter of the book launch which is only next Saturday!!! Panic, me? No goodness no! I wonder though if I could ask for some help. If those on my flist who subscribe to any online Tolkien forums or fan fic writer groups would be prepared to pass on the word about both the book and the launch, that would be terrific. And if anyone feels able to do a post on their own LJ that would also be wonderful. Any help would be so appreciated. Thank you very much in advance. I wish I could send you all a free copy but I don't think the publisher, who is after all footing the bill, would be very pleased!
The book is currently available for pre order at Amazon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hobbit-Hero-Making-Tolkiens-King/dp/095519007X/ref=gfix-submit-correction-product-detail I have asked Amazon to amend this page because the title is currently incorrect, there's no image and, with Ted's painting on longer on the front cover, it seems a bit deceptive to have him listed as illustrator. These things are annoying but don't affect the availability of the book through this site.
Alternatively it can be purchased directly from
www.adcbooks.co.uk There is even the odd copy up for grabs on ebay!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330769657649&ssPageName=ADME:B:FSEL:GB:1123 Don't forget, the launch is Saturday 11th August at the Redesdale Hall, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire for 10am to 5pm. Hope to see some of you there!
So all the info is easily to hand - and please feel free to use - the cover photos and the blurb is all here under the cut.
Many thanks again.
‘Aragorn’, the hero-king from The Lord of the Rings, is one of the pivotal figures of Tolkien’s mythology, but a detailed study of this popular character has been a notable omission from the spectrum of existing study. It is nearly forty years since Paul Kocher published his sympathetic analysis in The Master of Middle-earth and his has remained one of the most insightful studies available. With the subsequent publication of Tolkien’s letters, numerous versions of The Silmarillion and extensive material pertaining to the legendarium, we have opportunities unavailable to Kocher to further appreciate the character’s role and to explore Tolkien’s own aspirations for his king. By delving into this wealth of material, and returning to some of the principal legends that inspired Tolkien, the author unravels Aragorn’s evolution from the hobbit ‘Trotter’ into a great Númenórean king, and considers the consequences of this unexpected transformation, in particular, examining how Tolkien utilized the character to fulfil some of the more profound functions of his wider mythology.
“This exemplary book places Aragorn in his rightful place as one of the greatest heroes of any mythology. Beautifully researched, clearly written and quite entrancing, in this study Liz has explored in glorious detail her vision of this intriguing character. Whether you are a scholar, an aficionado or one of Tolkien’s millions of ardent fans, Hobbit to Hero is essential reading and will prove invaluable to your understanding of the heroic legendarium.”
Angela Gardner: Black and White Ogre Country: The Lost Tales of Hilary Tolkien.
A zoologist and former teacher, Liz rears pedigree sheep and cattle on her farm in the Cotswold Hills of her native Gloucestershire. She first discovered Tolkien as a child when she encountered The Hobbit in the 1960’s, and her enduring fascination with the Professor’s works has led her to write this book.