The Ring of Words

It is a little-known fact that, after the Great War, J.R.R. Tolkien's first job was as an assistant on the Oxford English Dictionary. Yet the experience proved to be of enormous significance for his subsequent endeavours, literary as well as scholarly. He later said of it: "I learned more in those two years than in any equal period of my life."

A valuable contribution to the study of the OED itself ... The Ring of Words successfully reunites the academic and creative aspects of Tolkien, often seen as a odds. - John Garth, Times Literary Supplement

The Ring of the Words is an excellent addition to the shelf of best books about Tolkien, warmly recommended. - Wayne G. Hammond, author of J.R.R. Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography and co-author of The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide

Anyone enthralled by the story of the English language will be captivated by this account of an unforgettable man's half-forgotten first achievements. - Simon Winchester, author of the Surgeon of Crowthorne and The Meaning of Everything The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary