Review of A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte

J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis share many things in common.  They were both Christian authors, they both wrote incredibly popular works of fantasy, and they both served in the First World War.  Joseph Loconte's book A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and a Great War explores all three of these themes.


This book is divided into six chapters with a conclusion.  The first chapter sets them firmly in the world of 1914 with its myth of progress.  Humanity was becoming happier, healthier, and more peaceful.  War was unthinkable...until it broke out in August 1914, shattering the Myth of Progress with it.


The second chapter discusses the efforts of the clergy to make World War I into a holy war, a crusade for freedom and democracy.  But Tolkien and Lewis did not adopt this attitude in their books.  While displaying opportunities for heroism, war is a terrible and sad--not glorious--duty.  The third chapter is a fascinating look at J. R. R. Tolkien's service in the trenches of World War I.  Joseph Loconte contends (with reason), that many of the descriptions of battle in The Lord of the Rings are drawn from Tolkien's own service.  Certainly the realm of Mordor is based on the trenches of the Western Front, as Tolkien states: "The Dead Marshes and the approaches to the Morannon owe something to Northern France after the Battle of the Somme." (pg. 74)


Since Tolkien's service occupied the third chapter, Chapter 4 is focused on C. S. Lewis's time as a soldier in World War I.  Finally World War I ended, leaving people dazed and looking for the meaning of all the sacrifice and senseless bloodshed.  They eventually came to the conclusion that it did not exist, thus opening the door for new philosophies like Communism and Fascism that promised a better life.  C. S. Lewis was caught up in these philosophies, eventually leading to a life-changing discussion with J. R. R. Tolkien on September 19, 1931.




Both of these men now possessed a firm faith in God and a desire to share His truth with others by writing fantasy stories.  The sixth and last chapter merges seamlessly with the conclusion, as Mr. Loconte explores major themes in the works of Tolkien and Lewis.  These include courage, duty, heroism, destiny, friendship, Providence, and the idea that this world is a battleground between good and evil.  But this battle cannot be won by our own efforts, as illustrated by King Tirian's defeat at Stable Hill and the ending of Frodo's quest at Mount Doom.  Are we destined to fail?

But both Narnia and Middle-Earth (and our world, eventually) have a twist, a "eucatastrophe" as Tolkien and Lewis would term it.  There is a returning King who will make the world right again.  The conclusion to A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, and a Great War takes the book from an interesting study of World War I's influence on two famous fantasy authors and turns it into a reassurance that the world will be restored to its intended purposes.

I highly recommend this book, not just for Tolkien and Lewis enthusiasts, but for all Christians. 
5/5 stars.