More than most writers, J.R.R. Tolkien had a way with words. In his expert hands, words assumed a magic life all their own, rolling off the page (and our tongues), insinuating their way into our consciousness, and merging so seamlessly with characters and places that readers of his inspired fantasy fiction cannot imagine a Middle Earth without hobbits named Baggins or a dragon called Smaug, or the slimy, malodorous goblin known as Gollum. A scholar and philologist, Tolkien came by his preoccupation with language honestly. It was his primary source of inspiration and served as the jumping-off point for nearly all his stories. This unique book examines Tolkien's verbal hocus-pocus, delving into his immense store of linguistic knowledge and revealing the puns and riddles, hidden meanings, and mythical associations playfully frolicking beneath the surface of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. 9" x 12". Color & b&w illus.