J.R.R. Tolkien

Featuring: Dr Rosina Buckland, Curator of Japanese Collections in the Department of Asia at the British Museum and Lead Curator of the Samurai exhibition; Joe Nickols, curator in the Japan section of the British Museum, co-ordinating the Samurai exhibition; and Prof Oleg Benesch, ...  Show more

Rasputin rose from obscurity to become the most controversial figure at the court of Tsar Nicholas II. This episode features: Sir Anthony Beevor, writer and historian, and Dr Helen Rappaport, author, media consultant, and historian specialising in the British and Russian history ...  Show more

How Oxford academic JRR Tolkien came up with The Hobbit, a story that charmed children for generations.Hear excerpts from the BBC's archive of interviews, including JRR Tolkien himself.(Image: JRR Tolkien in 1967. Credit: Associated Press) 

J.R.R Tolkien is one of Britain’s most beloved authors, famous for creating the fantasy world ‘Middle Earth’ through his novels ‘The Hobbit’ and the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. What started out as a bedtime story for his young children, now captivates millions of fans across the ...  Show more

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein in 1892.

Orphaned before he was a teenager, he fought at the Somme in the First World War before going on to become one of the best-selling authors of all time.

Bilbo, Gandalf, Gollum, Frodo, Sauron - these are j ...

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is one of the most prestigious authors in modern history, best known for writingThe Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In the first of two episodes, Tom and Dominic explore Tolkien's childhood, his relationship with religion, and the impact that the rapi ...  Show more