When people think of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, they often picture tweedy Oxford professors and beloved fantasy authors. But their writing wasn't drawn only from their bucolic days teaching at Oxford and walking in the English countryside; it had a darker, deeper backdrop: the trenches of World War I and the cataclysm of World War II. Lewis and Tolkien weren't just fantasy writers — they were war veterans, cultural critics, and men with firsthand knowledge of evil, heroism, and sacrifice.In today’s episode, I’m joined by Joseph Loconte, returning to the show to discuss his latest book, <a href="https://amzn.to/4r18t6T" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The War for Middle Earth</a>. We explore how both world wars shaped the perspectives of Tolkien and Lewis, found their way into works like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, and infused their literary masterpieces with moral weight, spiritual depth, and timeless themes of resistance, friendship, and redemption. We also talk about the legendary friendship between Tolkien and Lewis, the creation of the Inklings, and how the men demonstrated the countercultural power of imaginative storytelling.Resources Related to the Podcast<ul><li>Related AoM podcasts:</li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/people/relationships/podcast-178-c-s-lewis-j-r-r-tolkien-and-the-inklings-mastermind-group/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#178: The Inklings Mastermind Group</a></li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/podcast-272-c-s-lewis-j-r-r-tolkien-myth-progress/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#272: Lewis, Tolkien, and the Myth of Progress</a>&nbsp;(Loconte’s first appearance on the AoM podcast)</li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/living/reading/great-conversation-the-great-books/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#430: Why You Need to Join the Great Conversation About the Great Books</a></li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/norse-mythology-primer/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#499: A Fascinating Primer on Norse Mythology</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/podcast-594-how-churchill-and-london-survived-the-blitz-of-1940/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#594: How Churchill (and London) Survived the Blitz of 1940</a></li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/knowledge-of-men/podcast-723-men-without-chests/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#723: Men Without Chests</a></li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/advice/podcast-765-c-s-lewis-on-building-men-with-chests/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#765: C.S. Lewis on Building Men With Chests</a></li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/manly-lessons/podcast-951-the-hobbit-virtues/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#951: The Hobbit Virtues</a></li><li>Related AoM articles</li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/manly-lessons/the-power-of-conversation-a-lesson-from-cs-lewis-and-jrr-tolkien/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Power of Conversation: A Lesson from CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/manly-lessons/viking-mythology-ragnarok-the-norse-apocalypse/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lessons in Manliness from Viking Mythology</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/manly-lessons/lessons-in-manliness-the-hobbit/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lessons in Manliness: The Hobbit</a></li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/character/manly-lessons/men-without-chests/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Men Without Chests</a></li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/blood-sweat-and-tears-by-winston-churchill/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“Blood, Sweat, and Tears”</a>&nbsp;speech by Winston Churchill</li><li><a href="https://www.artofmanliness.com/living/reading/classic-chapter-books-for-kids/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">4 Classic Chapter Books to Read Aloud With Your Kids</a></li><li>Related outside articles:</li><li><a href="https://www.josephloconte.com/commentary/national-review-tolkiens-deadly-dragons/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tolkien’s Deadly Dragons</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_Agreement" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Munich Agreement</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_Barfield" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Owen Barfield</a></li><li>Tolkien books mentioned:</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7D2S3CN/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0544442784/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Beowulf</a>&nbsp;translated by Tolkien </li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007978NU6/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Hobbit</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0618640150/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Lord of the Rings</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1328791823/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Beren and Luthien</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063340534/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Letters from Father Christmas</a>&nbsp;</li><li>Lewis books mentioned:</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075V3RQ6N/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Letters of C.S. Lewis</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1606354116/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Collected Poems of C.S. Lewis</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802872174/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Pilgrim’s Regress</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0064409392/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Chronicles of Narnia</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060652950/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Great Divorce</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060652934/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Screwtape Letters</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZAT776G/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Space Trilogy</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062565397/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Four Loves</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060652926/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mere Christianity</a>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062849972/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Reading Life</a>&nbsp;</li><li>Related books by other authors:</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0618574816/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tolkien and the Great War</a>&nbsp;by John Garth</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FOACO46/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Somme</a>&nbsp;by Martin Gilbert</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345476093/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guns of August</a>&nbsp;by Barbara Tuchman</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393008312/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Future of an Illusion</a>&nbsp;by Sigmund Freud</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143105132/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143105132/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Aeneid</a>&nbsp;by Virgil</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802860605/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Phantastes</a>&nbsp;by George MacDonald</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0140447768/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Vinland Sagas</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0140275363/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Iliad</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0140268863/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Odyssey</a>&nbsp;by Homer</li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0141197498/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Divine Comedy</a>&nbsp;by Dante Alighieri </li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0140430431/?tag=stucosuccess-20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Le Morte d’Arthur</a>&nbsp;by Thomas Malory</li></ul>Connect With Joseph Loconte<ul><li><a href="https://www.josephloconte.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joseph's website</a></li></ul>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

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