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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... Read full story »

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Rings Writer Tolkien Trained as WWII Spy

Hobbit creator turned down chance to join codebreaking team

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

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More Newser Stories

Why Tolkien Wasn't Given Nobel Prize: Bad Writing

Jury member was not impressed with storytelling

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Emergency broadcast system tested using 'Lord of the Rings' locales

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Peter Jackson to Direct The Hobbit

'Lord of the Rings' mastermind takes over project from del Toro

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