Before there was Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, there was Richard Wagner’s The Ring of Nibelung. Infused with ancient Norse and Germanic myths, the composer’s epic opera cycle deals in power, corruption, and uncontrollable destruction. At its center is a ring forged from the enchanted riches of the Rhine river. All who look upon it will do anything to poss ... Show More
Nov 2022
Thanksgiving Special: Zorro, the Curse of Capistrano
He’s the swashbuckling fox of Southern California, a masked bandit who fights injustice with skill and swagger. In our Thanksgiving Special, meet the Curse of Capistrano, the lion-hearted legend himself, as he outwits his ruthless enemies and falls in love! Learn more about your ... Show More
1h 10m
Sep 2022
226. The Lord of the Rings
Written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling books ever written, with over 150 million copies sold.
Join Tom and Dominic in the second of two episodes on the life and work of J.R.R. Tolkien, where they discuss the themes of encroaching ... Show More
1h 5m
Sep 2023
Religion and Politics in the Lord of the Rings
J.R.R. Tolkien's masterwork The Lord of the Rings delighted so many of us as children, yet it and its vast body of accompanying work, such as the Silmarillion, contain a rich depth not well understood by most adults. Tolkien's work reflects his academic interests in the history o ... Show More
1h 2m
Dec 2021
JRR Tolkien, creator of The Hobbit
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein in 1892. Orphaned before he was a teenager, he fought at the Somme in the First World War before going on to become one of the best-selling authors of all time. Bilbo, Gandalf, Gollum, Frodo, Sauron - these are just a few of the ... Show More
27m 56s