Writer John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa and is best known for creating the fantasy worlds of The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954/55) trilogy.

An Oxford professor of medieval literature, Tolkien masterfully crafted the Middle-Earth adventures of furry-footed Bilbo Baggins and his nephew Frodo.

A mythical world of elves, dwarfs, gods, and dragons based somewhat on Anglo-Saxon and Norse folklore. His driving passion was to create his "fairy stories" so complete in detail, philosophy, and character to be "real."

A perfectionist who revised, corrected, and improved, he worked on The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King) for over 10 years.

Acknowledging those who claimed his writing was difficult to understand, Tolkien explained, "I am told that I talk in shorthand and then smudge it."

By 2000, The Lord of the Rings had sold over 50 million copies worldwide in 25 different languages. The novel inspired Gary Gygax' creation of the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons.

One of the greatest trilogy in film history, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings paid loving tribute to Tolkien's vision. The Fellowship of the Rings (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003) grossed billions worldwide.

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