I’m sure it won’t stay that way, though. Join The Man of the West as he concludes this week of the TTT by reading the first half of the chapter Of Men. Distant Valar, condescending Elves, and Morgoth on the loose: the Men will be just fiiiiiine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 18, 2023•8 min•Season 3Ep. 138
Sometimes, the big voices in the fandom have things to say too — Alan welcomes the OG Tolkien podcaster, Dr. Corey Olsen to the show to talk about all things Signum, and to put him in charge of Amazon’s marketing for Rings of Power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 17, 2023•27 min•Season 3Ep. 137
No, not The Man of the West — well at least not both of them — Bilbo! Gandalf recalls just how disappointing Bilbo was in the second part of The Quest of Erebor. Also, keep old maps and keys for 95 years, just in case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 16, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 136
The Man of the West returns to his wizardy wording ways this week as he brings you more of the names of Gandalf — and fills in a few unintended blanks on one of last week’s names! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 15, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 135
We join Tolkien on his winter break as he writes and stars in his own play that just might bear some similarities to real-life. He is finally allowed to write to Edith and the results are… not what you’d expect. Give it up for poor George. Be sure to visit John Garth's website at https://johngarth.co.uk to learn and read more about his incredible Tolkien work and scholarship. You can also buy Tolkien and the Great War on audiobook, narrated exceptionally well by John himself. I'm proud to suppor...
Nov 14, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 134
Join The Man of the West as he begins week 23 with a list of the top 10 scariest or creepiest creatures in Middle-earth, just in time for… two weeks after Halloween. You’ll never guess what #5 is! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 13, 2023•15 min•Season 3Ep. 133
Melkor hides, fakes friendship, almost persuades Fëanor, goes too far, but manages to understand thralldom better than Fëanor. Also, Tulkas is thinking, “I told you this would happen.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 11, 2023•8 min•Season 3Ep. 132
The Man of the West talks about the new Letters volume — and a massive Guide to even more Letters — with Phil Walch from Tolkien Collector’s Guide. The Man of the West may still be counting the number of Tolkien Tuesdays he’ll get from the new volume! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 10, 2023•27 min•Season 3Ep. 131
Join Gandalf — and the Man of the West — as he relates his own take on “the incident with the dragon” in The Quest of Erebor. From Gandalf’s grand strategy to how seriously Dwarves take their duty, we also get a teaser about our old friend, Bilbo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 09, 2023•8 min•Season 3Ep. 130
It’s a wizardy Wednesday as The Man of the West begins his exploration of several — but not all — of the names of everyone’s favorite Middle-earth wizard. No, it’s not that blue guy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 08, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 129
The Man of the West combines the best of Carpenter and Garth to talk about Tolkien in 1912: from his wet and windy cavalry camp, to his discovery of a wine-cellar that intoxicated him… and led directly to the Quenya language. Be sure to visit John Garth's website at https://johngarth.co.uk to learn and read more about his incredible Tolkien work and scholarship. You can also buy Tolkien and the Great War on audiobook, narrated exceptionally well by John himself. I'm proud to support John's work ...
Nov 07, 2023•8 min•Season 3Ep. 128
The Man of the West opens up the mailbag this week with a speculative question: what happens to the kingship of Gondor if Aragorn dies at the Black Gate? Well, I don’t know about the kingship of Gondor, but Arwen is not going to be happy about this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 06, 2023•10 min•Season 3Ep. 127
Okay, so it’s a great name for a metal album, but it’s also a theme in today’s Silmarillion Saturday, as Fëanor threatens his younger brother, and gets a 12-year time out for it. Then again, if you’re an Elf, what’s 12 years, really? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 04, 2023•11 min•Season 3Ep. 126
In what is likely to be the only mention of Taylor Swift on Today’s Tolkien Times, The Man of the West welcomes Silmaremily to Fandom Friday for a wide-ranging talk that (finally) includes some thoughts on Amazon’s The Rings of Power. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 03, 2023•25 min•Season 3Ep. 125
Gandalf explains just how important those “off screen” battles were at the end of the Third Age, as The Man of the West finally concludes his reading in the Appendices on Durin’s Folk, wrapping up with a beautiful example of friendship featuring Legolas and Gimli. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 02, 2023•10 min•Season 3Ep. 124
Today’s Word-nerd Wednesday takes a look at the name of the river separating the Shire from those weird folk in Buckland: the Brandywine. Is it a pun? Is it a corrupted pronunciation? Is it Dutch? Yes, the answer is yes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 01, 2023•6 min•Season 3Ep. 123
Happy Halloween to all the TTT followers — but there’s nothing spooky about today’s Tolkien Tuesday, unless Tolkien “revisiting old haunts” counts. Today, we take a short break from John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War to revisit Carpenter’s biography to learn about Tolkien’s own Mrs. Doubtfire moment. Be sure to visit John Garth's website at https://johngarth.co.uk to learn and read more about his incredible Tolkien work and scholarship. You can also buy Tolkien and the Great War on audiobook...
Oct 31, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 122
The Man of the West starts off week 21 of Today’s Tolkien Times with a question about everyone’s favorite equestrian group: the Black Riders. Specifically, what happens to them after the One Ring is destroyed? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 30, 2023•11 min•Season 3Ep. 121
Our adventures in “Fëanor, No!” continue as Melkor continues to sow Discord in Valinor. Also, secret weapon stashes and awkward family dinners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 28, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 120
The Man of the West welcomes your friendly neighborhood linguist, the creator of RealElvish.net and the author of books to help you learn Neo-Sindarin, Fiona Jallings! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 27, 2023•17 min•Season 3Ep. 119
The Man of the West’s readings through the Appendix on Durin’s Folk continues as Thorin ascends the throne and just happens to run into Gandalf while on a business trip in Bree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 26, 2023•8 min•Season 3Ep. 118
The Man of the West dives deep into the Etymologies to explain how the words for just about every nasty creature in Middle-earth are actually connected! Also, fleshy mud pods: you’re welcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 25, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 117
It’s time to go back to school and study your Latin. And Greek. And Nevbosh. And Gothic. And… well, any other language you can get your teenage boy’s hands on. The Man of the West opens up Tolkien and the Great War and A Secret Vice to learn more about the Professor. Be sure to visit John Garth's website at https://johngarth.co.uk to learn and read more about his incredible Tolkien work and scholarship. You can also buy Tolkien and the Great War on audiobook, narrated exceptionally well by John ...
Oct 24, 2023•8 min•Season 3Ep. 116
The Man of the West opens up this new week of the TTT by actually finishing an answer he began last week. A close look at Christopher Tolkien’s words reveals that bowing to necessity was a grief to the Professor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 23, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 115
You thought the Fëanor piñata would catch a break with the end of the last chapter, wouldn’t you? Well, The Man of the West returns to read about the Silmarils themselves, and the beginning of the end of peace in Valinor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 21, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 114
Join The Man of the West as he welcomes the talented — and busy — James Tauber to chat about his 12-month course on The History of Middle-earth, his continuing efforts on the Digital Tolkien Project, and a lot more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 20, 2023•22 min•Season 3Ep. 113
The Dwarves may have had their victory, but the cost was high — and Dáin has bad news about the current squatter in Khazad-dûm. The Man of the West continues his reading and discussion through Appendix A on Durin’s Folk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 19, 2023•10 min•Season 3Ep. 112
Why wouldn’t we weave words about wizards on Wednesday? Join The Man of the West — who is now officially out of W tiles in Scrabble — as he dives into the ‘problematic’ word “wizard” and discovers that Gandalf doesn’t actually have to rest before casting Magic Missile again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 18, 2023•7 min•Season 3Ep. 111
The Man of the West returns to Tolkien and the Great War to learn more about Tolkien’s incredible gift and passion for languages. Maybe if someone had given me an Etymological Dictionary when I was… no, that wouldn’t have changed a thing. Be sure to visit John Garth's website at https://johngarth.co.uk to learn and read more about his incredible Tolkien work and scholarship. You can also buy Tolkien and the Great War on audiobook, narrated exceptionally well by John himself. I'm proud to support...
Oct 17, 2023•8 min•Season 3Ep. 110
Start your week off with The Man of the West as he starts to tackle a simple question with some complicated answers and quickly realizes he’s bitten off more than he can chew in one week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 16, 2023•9 min•Season 3Ep. 109