The study of Tolkien’s work is a young but growing branch of literary studies. I’ve provided a list of resources here that I have found personally useful, written by scholars whom I greatly admire – and some of whom I am privileged to call friends.
For a much more in-depth list of Tolkien scholarship and related materials, check out the open-access Tolkien Research Guide at Signum University. Signum also offers a concentration in Tolkien Studies, with a wide variety of classes on various aspects of Tolkien’s work and life.
Biography
J.R.R. Tolkien: a biography
by Humphrey Carpenter
The authorized biography; a classic.
The Inklings
by Humphrey Carpenter
The lives and friendship of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams.
J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century
by Tom Shippey
The cornerstone of Tolkien scholarship.
Tolkien and the Great War
by John Garth
A study of how World War I influenced Tolkien’s life and later works
Study Tolkien’s war years in Signum University’s “Tolkien’s Wars and Middle-earth” class, featuring lectures by John Garth
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Edited by Christopher Tolkien and Humphrey Carpenter
Read a large selection of Tolkien’s letters to family, friends, and fans about his legendarium, approaches to storytelling, and general thoughts about literature and life
Criticism
The Road to Middle-Earth
by Tom Shippey
Shippey places Tolkien’s work in its philological, philosophical, and literary context.
J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide
by Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull
Comprehensive reference works for all things Tolkien.
Understanding the Lord of the Rings
by Rose Zimbardo and Neil Isaacs
Seminal essays, especially valuable for early essays by Lewis and Auden.
Splintered Light
by Verlyn Flieger
The classic study of language and mythology in Tolkien’s works.
Interrupted Music: The Making of Tolkien’s Mythology
by Verlyn Flieger
A study of the careful construction of Tolkien’s myths.
The History of The Hobbit
edited by John D. Rateliff
Early drafts of The Hobbit with commentary and annotations by John D. Rateliff
The Gospel According to Tolkien
by Ralph Wood
A study of the deeply Christian theology of Tolkien’s mythology.
The Philosophy of Tolkien
by Peter Kreeft
An examination of the underlying philosophy of Tolkien’s works by an eminent philosopher.
Academic Journals
Tolkien Studies: An Annual Scholarly Review
Edited by Michael D. C. Drout, Verlyn Flieger, and David Bratman
The flagship publication for all things related to Tolkien’s works
Journal of Tolkien Research
Edited by Bradford Lee Eden
An open-access journal for Tolkien scholarship
Mythlore
Edited by Janet Brennan Croft
A scholarly, peer-reviewed journal published by the Mythopoeic Society that focuses on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and the genres of myth and fantasy
Artwork
The Atlas of Middle-Earth
by Karen Wynn Fonstad
A wonderful study of Tolkienian geography.
The Maps of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth
by Brian Sibley
Featuring maps drawn by John Howe.
