logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
53m 20s

J.R.R. Tolkien

NEWSTALK
About this episode

In this episode of Talking History, Patrick Geoghegan reflects on the life, times and legacy of The Lord of The Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien to mark the 50th anniversary of his death this weekend.

He's joined by:

  • John McQuillen. Associate Curator at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York who organised the recent Tolkien exhibition at the Morgan

  • Dr Barry Houlihan, archivist at the University of Galway

  • Shaun Gunner, chair of the Tolkien Society

  • And Dr Corey Olsen, 'The Tolkien Professor', President of Signum University and Mythgard Institute.

Up next
Oct 7
Ireland and the American Revolution
On the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution, we'll discuss the Irish involvement in the conflict and the impact it had on our history.Featuring: Prof Finola O'Kane Crimmins, Professor at the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy at UCD; Dr ... Show More
53m 4s
Sep 28
Irish STEM Lives
We explore Ireland's journey through science, engineering, technology and mathematics over the last four centuries.Featuring Dr Eoin Kinsella, managing editor of the Dictionary of Irish Biography; Prof Jane Grimson, a Member of the Royal Irish Academy and past president of Engine ... Show More
52m 10s
Sep 23
Best of September Books
In this episode: Dublin’s Industrial Heritage by Rob Goodbody; the Voices of the Showmen exhibition at the University of Galway; The Great Reversal - Britain, China and the 400-Year Contest for Power, by Kerry Brown; and Irish settlers’ roles in Native American history, in Éire a ... Show More
53m 12s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2012
The Hobbit
How Oxford academic JRR Tolkien came up with The Hobbit, a story that charmed children for generations.Hear excerpts from the BBC's archive of interviews, including JRR Tolkien himself.(Image: JRR Tolkien in 1967. Credit: Associated Press) 
9m 2s
Dec 2023
J.R.R Tolkien
J.R.R Tolkien is one of Britain’s most beloved authors, famous for creating the fantasy world ‘Middle Earth’ through his novels ‘The Hobbit’ and the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. What started out as a bedtime story for his young children, now captivates millions of fans across the ... Show More
51m 11s
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
Aug 2022
225. J.R.R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is one of the most prestigious authors in modern history, best known for writingThe Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In the first of two episodes, Tom and Dominic explore Tolkien's childhood, his relationship with religion, and the impact that the rapid ... Show More
1 h
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
Oct 2023
Tolkien Takes Us Places
This fall marks 50 years since JRR Tolkien’s death. In honor of the writer’s life and legacy, we want to take you back to the places where it all began. 
12m 19s
Jan 2022
La magie des œuvres de Tolkien - Entretien avec Vincent Ferré
Mes chers camarades, bien le bonjour et bienvenue dans ce nouvel entretien historique avec Vincent Ferré, professeur de littératures comparées à l'université Paris Est Créteil, spécialiste de Proust mais aussi de Tolkien, dont il est traducteur et éditeur depuis plus de vingt ans ... Show More
1h 47m
Mar 2015
Beowulf
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the epic poem Beowulf, one of the masterpieces of Anglo-Saxon literature. Composed in the early Middle Ages by an anonymous poet, the work tells the story of a Scandinavian hero whose feats include battles with the fearsome monster Grendel and ... Show More
46m 29s
Apr 2019
The Silmarillion (Unabridged) Part 2 of 2 Martin Shaw
The complete unabridged audiobook of J.R.R Tolkien's The Silmarillion. The Silmarillion is an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien’s world. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such ... Show More
7h 27m
Jul 2024
Tolkien und "Der Herr der Ringe" – Fantasy-Erfolg eines Sprachgenies
Er ist der Schöpfer von Mittelerde und seine Bücher zählen zu den meistgelesenen der Welt, J. R. R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973) aber sah sich nie als Schriftsteller. Was macht sein Werk so erfolgreich? Von Marc Bädorf (SWR 2023) | Manuskript und mehr zur Sendung: http://swr.li/tolkien- ... Show More
27m 55s