MIDDLE-EARTH TIMELINE
Tolkien: A Cultural Phenomenon is a study by Brian Rosebury, who teaches humanities at the University of Central Lancashire. It was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2003, as a revised and expanded version of his Tolkien: A Critical Assessment of 1992.
Rosebury examines how The Lord of the Rings builds its world and its story, follows Tolkien's writing career from 1914 to 1973, and compares him with the modernist writers of his time. The new chapters look at Tolkien's ideas in the context of the twentieth century and at the adaptations of his work. Tom Shippey called it a compelling analysis.
A critic places Tolkien among the writers of his century and looks at his success, his ideas and the adaptations of his work.