A controversial approach to the Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's other work. Unlike the conventional view that his fantasy writing was an escape from reality, Pearce argues that Tolkien saw his stories as a leap into reality. This is because of Tolkien's own view of life, faith and the supernatural. This understanding is crucial to fully appreciating both "The Lord of the Rings", "The Hobbit" and "Middle Earth". J.R.R. Tolkien had no more than seven books published during his lifetime and yet he is a towering literary figure around the world. This text considers him in the context of his time and also his beliefs. It examines his influence upon other story tellers such as C. S. Lewis and the influence upon him of the writers group called the Inklings.