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Question Werthead Send a noteboard - 25/03/2011 09:00:08 PM
Have you read:

J.R.R. TOLKIEN: A BIOGRAPHY by Humphrey Carpenter
THE TOLKIEN BIOGRAPHY by Michael White
THE HISTORY OF MIDDLE-EARTH SERIES, edited by Christopher Tolkien, with close focus on Volumes VI-IX, which cover the writing in exhaustive detail of THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

Since this is what I'm going by.

But for what it's worth, what Tolkien did in WWII:

* He did not engage in any kind of war work for the government. He was asked due to his knowledge of German, said no, and the government agreed his skills were not essential and let him get on with his life.

* Acted as an ARP Warden in Oxford, which involved relatively little work as Oxford was never bombed in WWII.

* Kept some chickens in his back garden to aid in rationing.

* Engaged in minor work at the university, giving basic English tutoring lessons to military cadets. This was a drop in the ocean compared to his normal tutoring schedule pre and post-war, which was extremely busy.

* (Right at the very end of the war) bitching at C.S. Lewis for ripping off Middle-earth in some kids' books he was planning to write about a magical wardrobe or something.

In fact, the most stressful period of the war for Tolkien was probably 1943-44, when his son Christopher was stationed in South Africa being trained as a pilot (Tolkien considered aerial warfare to be amoral and obscenely dangerous). And that was the most productive period of writing on LotR, when he wrote almost all of Book IV of LotR (Frodo and Sam meeting Gollum and sneaking into Mordor) in just a few months of frantic activity.
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A Dance With Dragons - 22/03/2011 11:43:01 PM 2628 Views
See, I disagree. - 23/03/2011 01:05:59 AM 1752 Views
Also, I think we all know GRRM has more interest than just writing - 23/03/2011 05:06:34 AM 1610 Views
I would agree with you, but... - 24/03/2011 06:59:14 AM 1556 Views
If that is true... - 24/03/2011 09:57:13 AM 1465 Views
... - 23/03/2011 01:17:57 AM 1625 Views
Yeah but, come on, 6 years? And 5 years for the book before that? *NM* - 23/03/2011 05:05:01 AM 749 Views
Yes that is longer than most... - 23/03/2011 08:31:57 PM 1524 Views
Many, many.. - 24/03/2011 09:58:28 AM 1690 Views
The way I see it ... - 23/03/2011 03:59:35 AM 1637 Views
If people are upset with him, don't buy the book. - 23/03/2011 07:52:02 AM 1513 Views
Re: If people are upset with him, don't buy the book. - 23/03/2011 01:22:09 PM 1438 Views
Do you guys literally have nothing else to read? - 24/03/2011 06:40:51 AM 1390 Views
do you realize how little time is spent on whining and bitching? - 24/03/2011 10:06:16 AM 1428 Views
Well, you're spending time on it right now. *NM* - 25/03/2011 03:35:10 AM 743 Views
Some is not necessarily a lot. Open a logic textbook. *NM* - 25/03/2011 12:18:38 PM 779 Views
Re: Do you guys literally have nothing else to read? - 24/03/2011 03:58:11 PM 1507 Views
Personally, I completely forgot about the series... - 25/03/2011 03:46:58 AM 1432 Views
Re: Personally, I completely forgot about the series... - 25/03/2011 12:22:07 PM 1468 Views
No, that's not his attitude. - 24/03/2011 11:53:55 PM 1432 Views
The reason some authors say such things is.. - 28/03/2011 09:33:01 AM 1490 Views
yeah - 24/03/2011 10:02:38 AM 1482 Views
Re: - 25/03/2011 03:55:58 AM 1449 Views
accidental double click >< *NM* - 24/03/2011 10:02:39 AM 784 Views
*complain* - 23/03/2011 10:19:33 PM 1558 Views
*sigh* - 24/03/2011 10:11:29 AM 1879 Views
Re: *sigh* - 24/03/2011 01:56:51 PM 1573 Views
Well - 24/03/2011 02:44:00 PM 1504 Views
Re: Well - 25/03/2011 12:17:08 AM 1514 Views
apparently you cant read... - 25/03/2011 12:37:51 AM 1557 Views
Seriously? You don't know how Jordan's illness manifested itself? - 25/03/2011 02:19:23 AM 1592 Views
I'm glad you mentioned LotR - 25/03/2011 03:21:46 AM 1464 Views
Can we please stop making baseless comparisons to Lord of the Rings? Thanks. - 25/03/2011 06:22:50 AM 1482 Views
And can we try to strive for accuracy in what we are saying? Thanks. - 25/03/2011 08:24:51 AM 1506 Views
He still went to work, bucko. - 25/03/2011 06:57:26 PM 1352 Views
Question - 25/03/2011 09:00:08 PM 1473 Views
You, uh, just started arguing my position. - 26/03/2011 10:55:19 AM 1298 Views
Are you seriously that naive? - 25/03/2011 01:07:39 PM 1640 Views
Re: Are you seriously that naive? - 25/03/2011 10:59:27 PM 1395 Views
Re: Well - 25/03/2011 05:08:25 AM 1622 Views
Re: Well - 25/03/2011 01:11:20 PM 1719 Views
Re: *complain* - 24/03/2011 04:01:39 PM 1416 Views
I think you're right, and I also think it doesn't matter - 24/03/2011 12:37:35 AM 1370 Views
i agree, however... - 24/03/2011 10:12:52 AM 1459 Views
I agree with some of that. - 24/03/2011 01:12:10 AM 1500 Views
I don't care at all after so long a wait, but I do love watching the fanboys scramble to defend him. *NM* - 24/03/2011 01:20:15 AM 820 Views
^^^ This ^^^ *NM* - 26/03/2011 11:32:40 AM 807 Views
He's lazy and selfish and has every right to be *NM* - 24/03/2011 02:18:14 AM 783 Views
Your complaints would find more resonance if he hadn't announced a publication date yet. - 24/03/2011 01:55:01 PM 1311 Views
I think you bring up a good point - 24/03/2011 03:35:34 PM 1435 Views
Re: A Dance With Dragons - 24/03/2011 02:06:48 PM 1512 Views
Re: A Dance With Dragons - 24/03/2011 03:08:27 PM 1428 Views
But Sanderson's book was a mess. *NM* - 24/03/2011 09:35:56 PM 725 Views
Was it really? Which one was this? *NM* - 25/03/2011 03:40:58 AM 802 Views
ToM. Still was better than what Jordan was writing, though. - 25/03/2011 06:21:49 AM 1235 Views
Interesting. - 27/03/2011 11:32:39 PM 1476 Views
I enjoyed them too! They were just a mess structurally. - 29/03/2011 01:54:57 AM 1443 Views
In some places, yeah. - 29/03/2011 04:17:38 AM 1920 Views
I thought it was pretty damn good, personally. *NM* - 25/03/2011 05:13:25 AM 835 Views
I enjoyed it a lot more than I enjoyed any of Jordan's recent books. - 25/03/2011 06:20:47 AM 1506 Views
I enjoyed it immensely as well, but im still torn - 25/03/2011 03:07:59 PM 1450 Views
I'm torn too. - 27/03/2011 11:34:35 PM 1621 Views
Re: A Dance With Dragons - 25/03/2011 05:19:01 AM 1560 Views
This thread is becoming vaguely ridiculous. - 25/03/2011 01:31:40 PM 1531 Views
These threads are always ridiculous. I'm both astounded & not at all surprised that there's another - 25/03/2011 06:39:34 PM 1416 Views
EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE! - 25/03/2011 08:28:10 PM 1375 Views
I love threads like these. *NM* - 26/03/2011 10:53:38 AM 611 Views
Are you familiar with Minecraft? - 25/03/2011 07:05:56 PM 1428 Views
Whoops. - 26/03/2011 09:25:28 PM 1389 Views
What is this I don't even. - 27/03/2011 08:03:59 AM 1267 Views
Jaysus, it's not like he's maliciously holding back the book on you - 25/03/2011 03:46:00 PM 1413 Views
Re: Jaysus, it's not like he's maliciously holding back the book on you - 25/03/2011 04:31:31 PM 1615 Views
Re: Your math up above - 25/03/2011 04:45:23 PM 1422 Views
If you redo it ... - 25/03/2011 04:57:29 PM 1436 Views
Re: Your math up above - 26/03/2011 02:43:03 PM 1588 Views
That was gentle ribbing, not ad hom. Calm down. - 26/03/2011 04:22:24 PM 1363 Views
I used a smiley and everything! - 26/03/2011 04:52:48 PM 1570 Views
That's a great line. - 26/03/2011 07:01:42 PM 1310 Views
Re: That was gentle ribbing, not ad hom. Calm down. - 26/03/2011 05:09:19 PM 1541 Views
When you see people like Nate, Tash, or Rebekah, you don't have to worry. - 26/03/2011 06:59:01 PM 1381 Views
I see that I need to work on my reputation. - 28/03/2011 05:49:30 PM 1458 Views
Perhaps it is the same as one does not speak ill of fairies or elves. - 28/03/2011 11:22:17 PM 1425 Views
YEAH YOU'RE A TERRIBLE ADMIN - 29/03/2011 01:58:41 AM 1375 Views
A very wise man once informed people that George R. R. Martin is not their bitch. - 26/03/2011 09:26:15 PM 1470 Views
How very true. *NM* - 26/03/2011 10:19:59 PM 738 Views

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