Myth & Middle-Earth: Exploring the Medieval Legends Behind J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings
Leslie Ellen Jones is an especially well-qualified guide to Tolkien's mythological roots, holding a Ph.D. in Folklore and Mythology Studies from UCLA with a specialization in comparative and Celtic mythology. She has written extensively on modern uses of mythology in popular fiction, film, and television, teaches a course on Tolkien and his work for Barnes and Noble Online University, and is the author of a forthcoming biography of Tolkien (Greenwood Press, Summer 2002, title not finalized yet).