The Master of the Rings: The Unauthorized Story Behind J.R.R. Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien never set out to become a pop icon. But almost 30 years after his death, he has ascended to heights previously reserved for pop stars. For hundreds of thousands, his vivid descriptions of the enchanted land of Middle Earth - and the band of Hobbits, heroes and wizards who set out to save it - have evolved into more than just a fairy tale.