Rings Writer Tolkien Trained as WWII Spy

Hobbit creator turned down chance to join codebreaking team

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 17, 2009 4:09 AM CDT

(Newser) – Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien secretly trained as a British spy in early 1939, the Daily Telegraph reports. Newly released records show that Tolkien—one of his generation's foremost linguists—was given spy training along with 50 other intellectuals and had been picked to join the team trying to crack Nazi codes in the event of war. The writer turned down the offer to work at Britain's codebreaking center for unknown reasons.

"We simply don't know why he didn't join," a historian said. "Perhaps it was because we declared war on Germany and not Mordor.''

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

JRR Tolkien. author of "The Lord of the Rings," smiles in this 1967 photo. (AP Photo, file)

JRR Tolkien enjoys a pipe in his study at Merton College, Oxford, 1956. (Getty Images)

What enemies were on JRR Tolkien's mind? (Getty Images)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Why he failed to join remains a mystery. There is no paperwork suggesting a motive, so we can only assume that he wanted to concentrate on his
writing career. - A British historian

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

AP Photo

35 Brutally Honest Reasons Men Say No to Sex (The Stir)

Man in Mugshot Explains Why He Has Half a Head (HuffPost)

Another Sign Rihanna and Chris Brown Might Get Back Together? (Celebuzz)

These Exes Were Spotted Making Out … and That's a Bad Thing (Bleacher Report)

Did the Romney Family Dog Flee to Canada? (Slate)

Partner Links

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

Showing 3 of 6 comments

jagerhans

Sep 18, 2009 4:15 AM CDT

you idiot. i let Tolkien answer to you asshole. «it appears that a German translation of The Hobbit was being negotiated in 1938. The German firm inquired whether Tolkien was of 'arisch' (aryan) origin. Tolkien was infuriated by this, and wrote two letters as a response...In the second one he proudly protested on the inquiry and, among other things, replied that "... I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted [Jewish] people".»

jagerhans

Sep 17, 2009 6:18 AM CDT

no wow. did you actually read the lord of rings? it is an obvious parody of nazism-fascism (sauron the dark lord and the ogre hordes) and communism (those villains who take over the shire and estabilish a vile parody of communism when the heroes are away) . now this fact explains it all putting it on a slightly different light. at least he wasn't antisemite.

The_Pinkston

Sep 17, 2009 4:26 AM CDT

cool.

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Rick Santorum: Birth Control Is 'Not OK'

E-Cigarette Explodes in Man's Mouth

Telegraph (UK) (Source Grid »)

World • Lifestyle

espionage • World War II • Lord of the Rings • J. R. R. Tolkien

More Newser Stories

UK: Yeah, We Used Lame Fake Rock in Spying

Former official admits Russia caught it red-handed

(NEWSER) - Oh, the shame from the land of James Bond: A former British official admits that the nation used a fake plastic rock stuffed with hidden equipment to try to spy on Russia. Moscow actually exposed the ruse in a 2006 documentary—complete with footage of agents kicking the rock in a Moscow park when it didn't work—but the Brits had never copped to it until now, reports the Guardian . More»

Rent Hitler's 'Wolf's Lair'

Underground Nazi HQ is available for $139,000 a year

(NEWSER) - Looking for a secluded vacation spot? For $139,000 a year, you can rent the bunker complex used by Hitler during World War II, reports the Telegraph . Known as the Wolf's Lair, the 32-acre site was built in a Polish forest and became the central headquarters of the Nazi dictator from 1941 to 1944. Drawback: Germany forces destroyed much of it as they fled. More»

Why Tolkien Wasn't Given Nobel Prize: Bad Writing

Jury member was not impressed with storytelling

(NEWSER) - His novels became classics, but back in 1961, JRR Tolkien's work wasn't good enough for the Nobel Prize committee. The Lord of the Rings author was nominated that year by fellow fantasy author CS Lewis, but the committee rejected him because his writing wasn't good enough, the Telegraph reports. In documents released half a century later, one jury member says Tolkien's work "has not in any way measured up to storytelling of the highest quality." Also rejected that year: Robert Frost (too old) and EM Forster ("a shadow of his former self."). More»

Secret Cold War Project Revealed After 45 Years

Project Hexagon collected crucial intelligence on Soviets and Chinese

(NEWSER) - An ultra-secret clan of scientists and engineers who toiled in a gigantic enclave in Danbury, Conn., can finally reveal its covert activities. Declassified in September, project Hexagon launched the most successful spy satellite network of the Cold War and collected crucial data for decades that helped undermine the Soviet Union, reports the AP . From 1971 to 1986, more than 1,000 people worked grueling hours, speaking in code and denying the project's existence even to family members. More»

Google Maps Advises Against Mordor Visits

Try searching for walking directions from the Shire

(NEWSER) - With The Hobbit trailer out , some among us may feel inspired to risk the trek to Mordor. But if you look for walking directions to it from the Shire on Google Maps, you'll be greeted with a warning: "Use caution—One does not simply walk into Mordor." The phrase echoes a line from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring that has become an Internet meme, the Telegraph reports, noting that it's unclear how long the Easter egg has been in existence. Its discovery follows Google's recently uncovered "Let It Snow" trick . Amusingly, the directions below the warning take travelers from "The Shire" to a London club 12 miles away called the Intrepid Fox ... perhaps because of this ? More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Rings Writer Tolkien Trained as WWII Spy