Black & White Ogre Country

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Black & White Ogre Country: The Lost Tales of Hilary Tolkien
Black white ogre.jpg
AuthorHilary Tolkien (edited by Angela Gardner)
PublisherADC Publications Ltd
Released26 January, 2009
FormatHardback in dustwrapper
Pages73
ISBN0-9551900-1-0

Black & White Ogre Country: The Lost Tales of Hilary Tolkien contains a collection of formerly unpublished tales by Hilary Tolkien, edited by by Angela Gardner and illustrated by Jef Murray. The manuscripts used in the book are held by Chris Tolkien, grandson of Hilary.

Also included are unpublished photographs of the Tolkien family, and excerpts from an unpublished letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Hilary (see Hilary Tolkien 1971).

From the publisher

Recently discovered tales written by Hilary in a little exercise book when he was an old man of his growing up with his brother as a young boy and the turbulent horrors of war and happy times since. Includes unpublished photographs, letters and wonderful illustrations that capture a time and a place that has long gone, yet shows Middle-England as several generations knew it.

Reviews

"It is evident that the brothers were extraordinarily close; their shared experiences as children, encouraged by the wilder, more physically adventurous Hilary, gave Ronald the grounding in nature that anchored his fantasy to the earth. Reading these almost whimsical fragments is like scanning a rudimentary blueprint for The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit. [...] As a collection of tales for children, it has immense charm. But for Tolkien fans, it offers a hitherto undisclosed insight into the origins of his monumental works of fantasy." (Excerpt from Norman, Neil: "Simple tales reveal Tolkien's inspiriation", Daily Mail, February 27, 2009, p.62.)

See also