John Garth an absolute Tolkien research genius. There is not a better work on Tolkien's early life. I've looked into quite a few Tolkien biographies, and this one takes the cake. If you're looking for a window into Tolkien's formative years, you can't find a better book than this. It's beautifully written, the documents and quotes from Tolkien's friends are astounding, and Garth's prose honors Tolkien's journey poetically. Don't miss our first Tolkien series, where we take a deep dive in to Tolkien's life drawing from Garth and other scholars work. If there's one book we recommend on Tolkien, it's this one - so don't miss it!
