The Lord of the Rings trilogy has delighted millions of fans worldwide in book and movie form. With the theatrical release of the two-part film The Hobbit slated for 2012 and 2013, attention will once again turn to J. R. R. Tolkien's classic works. In a culture where truth is relative and morality is viewed as old-fashioned, we welcome the chance to view the world through hobbit eyes: we have free will, our choices matter, and living a morally heroic life is possible. In this engaging and thought-provoking book, Tolkien expert Matthew Dickerson shows how a Christian worldview and Christian themes undergird Tolkien's Middle-earth writings and how they are fundamentally important to understanding his vision. This revised and expanded edition of Following Gandalf includes new material on torture, social justice, and the importance of the body.

Enter Bilbo Baggins’ world through exclusive interviews with director Peter Jackson, Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and all the principal cast and filmmakers, who share film-making secrets and tales of what it was actually like making movie magic in Middle-earth. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos of the actors, locations, sets, creatures and costumes, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Official Movie Guide has been produced in collaboration with the filmmakers who have brought J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novel into breathtaking three-dimensional life.

Enter the amazing World of Hobbits. Packed with photos from the new film, this book will tell you all you need to know about these amazing creatures – their appearance, appetites, homes, friends, deadly foes and much more.

Laugh, cry, and feel wonder alongside 26 real-life wanderers in Portraits of Travel. In 2015, Caroline Bouron embarked on a journey across the Pacific to discover what drives people to forsake comfort for life on the move. She ended up interviewing 26 globetrotting voyagers from 12 countries and all walks of life - cyclists, sailors, nomads traveling for weeks or years at a time. Though their reasons for roaming varied widely, the travellers shared one thing: encounters that profoundly shaped their trips and their selves. With raw candour recalling both breathtaking vistas and bumpy roads, the voyagers recount outstanding memories from chance romantic trysts to brushes with death that forever altered their worldviews. And interspersed with travel tips and hidden gems worth visiting across the protagonists’ homelands, their stories may just provide the inspiration for your next adventure. From lifelong nomad to novice wanderer, anyone with a flicker of wanderlust will see themselves reflected in these pages. So, grab your backpack and traverse the world through the eyes of these intrepid souls.

At the 2013 "Celebrating The Hobbit" conference at Valparaiso University--marking the 75th anniversary of the book's publication and the first installment of Peter Jackson's Hobbit movies--two plenary papers were presented: "Anchoring the Myth: The Impact of The Hobbit on Tolkien's Legendarium" by John D. Rateliff provided numerous examples of The Hobbit's influence on Tolkien's legendarium; and "Tolkien's French Connections" by Verlyn Flieger discussed French influences on the development of Bilbo Baggins and his adventures. In discussions with the plenary speakers and other presenters, it became apparent that a book focusing on how The Hobbit influenced the subsequent development of Tolkien's legendarium was sorely needed. This collection of 15 previously unpublished essays fills that need. With Rateliff's and Flieger's papers included, the book presents two chapters on the Evolution of the Dwarven Race, two chapters on Durin's Day examining the Dwarven lunar calendar, and 11 chapters on themes exploring various topics on influences and revisions between The Hobbit and Tolkien's legendarium.

The latest volume in the best-selling "Complete Academy Awards Review Guide" series, "The Complete Unofficial 84th Annual Academy Awards Review Guide" is your complete guide for every movie that received an Oscar nomination for the year 2011! This was the year of instant classics like "12 Years a Slave," "Gravity," "Frozen," and "Captain Phillips." Each movie gets reviews and graded in this book (even the short films)! Commentary has been added for each film discussing the aftermath of an award being won or not being won. Extras include Top Ten Best & Worst lists, extra editorials, and this volume also introduces a new yearly feature we're calling "The Academy's Terrible Three," which will name the Academy's worst snub, worst nomination, and worst win. Written with great enthusiasm by Kevin T. Rodriguez and presented by acclaimed movie review site The Movie Wizard.com, "The Complete Unofficial 84th Annual Academy Awards Review Guide" is a must own for your movie reading pleasure!

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a brilliant writer who continues to leave his imaginative imprint on the mind and hearts of readers. He was once called the "creative equivalent of a people," and for more than sixty years his Middle-earth tales have captivated and delighted readers of all ages from all over the world. The Hobbit has long been recognized as a children's fantasy classic, and the heroic romance the Lord of the Rings has been called the most influential story of all time. These stories have sold over 150 million copies worldwide and have been translated into over forty languages, and they, along with works such as the Silmarillion and the History of Middle-Earth, have convinced scores of readers and critics that Tolkien is the master writer of fantasy. Whether you've been a fan for years or you've just recently been hooked by the blockbuster Lord of the Rings movies, "I Am in Fact a Hobbit" is an excellent starting point into the life and work of J. R. R. Tolkien. Book jacket.

How did five twentieth-century British authors, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, and Dorothy L. Sayers, along with their mentors George MacDonald and G. K. Chesterton, come to contribute more to the intellect and imagination of millions than many of their literary contemporaries put together? How do their achievements continue to inform and potentially transform us in the twenty-first century? In this first collection of its kind, addressing the entire famous group of seven authors, the twenty-seven chapters in The Inklings and Culture explore the legacy of their diverse literary art—inspired by the Christian faith—art that continues to speak hope into a hurting and deeply divided world.

The perfect gift for anyone who embraces the joy of fandom and geeking out, this collection of essays celebrates the fans of Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, Lord of the Rings, and much more. Pop Culture and sci-fi guru Ryan Britt has never met a monster, alien, wizard, or superhero that didn’t need further analysis. Essayist Ryan Britt got a sex education from dirty pictures of dinosaurs, made out with Jar-Jar Binks at midnight, and figured out how to kick depression with a Doctor Who Netflix-binge. Alternating between personal anecdote, hilarious insight, and smart analysis, Luke Skywalker Can’t Read contends that Barbarella is good for you, that monster movies are just romantic comedies with commitment issues, that Dracula and Sherlock Holmes are total hipsters, and, most shockingly, shows how virtually everyone in the Star Wars universe is functionally illiterate. Romp through time and space, from the circus sideshows of 100 years ago to the Comic Cons of today, from darkest corners of the Galaxy to the comfort of your couch. For anyone who pretended their flashlight was a lightsaber, stood in line for a movie at midnight, or dreamed they were abducted by aliens, Luke Skywalker Can't Read is full of answers to questions you haven't thought to ask, and perfect for readers of Chuck Klosterman, Rob Sheffield, and Ernest Cline. “Ryan Britt is . . . the Virgil you want to guide you through the inferno of geekery.” —Lev Grossman, author of the bestselling Magician's trilogy