The War for Middle-earth: J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Confront the Gathering Storm, 1933–1945

by Joseph Loconte

For fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, discover the story behind their unique friendship forged in the darkness of World War II and how it inspired the stories of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity.

In a world devastated by the cataclysm of war, two extraordinary authors and friends, J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, delivered a bracing vision of the human story: a path back to goodness, beauty, and faith. How did they do it?

For the first time, historian Joseph Loconte explains how the catastrophe of World War II trans­formed the lives and literary imagination of Tolkien and Lewis. The mechanized slaughter of the First World War had created a storm of disillusionment with the political and religious ideals of Western civilization. The new ideologies of Modernism, communism, Nazism, and totalitarianism rushed to fill the vacuum. At stake was a contest between civilization and barbarism. Tolkien and Lewis sought each other out in friendship and threw themselves into the struggle.

The War for Middle-earth explores how their most beloved works—The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Chron­icles of Narnia, Mere Christianity—were conceived in the shadow of the most devastating and dehumanizing war in history. Like no other authors of their age, Tolkien and Lewis used their imagi­nation to reclaim for their generation—and for ours—those deeds of valor and virtue and love that have always kept a lamp burning, even in the deepest darkness.

In The War for Middle-earth you will:

Be inspired by Tolkien's and Lewis's Christian imagination, which even today has the power to transform hearts desperate for hope and truth
Find encouragement and strength to resist evil in our own day
Discover how a biblical view of truth and beauty can light the path out of the deepest darkness
Combining a careful study of history and compelling storytelling, The War for Middle-earth reveals the remarkable achievement of these authors and friends: a recovery of heroism and faith despite deep sorrow and suffering. Here are enduring lessons for today's cultural moment and essential reading if you want to discover how great stories can reveal great truths.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Books About Books, World War II, Religion, Literature

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 18, 2025

About the author

Joseph Loconte, PhD, is an Associate Professor of History at The King’s College in New York City, where he teaches Western Civilization and American Foreign Policy.

Loconte previously served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University, where he taught on religion and public policy. He was a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., and from 1999-2006 he held the first chair in religion as the William E. Simon Fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

Loconte is the author of The Searchers: A Quest for Faith in the Valley of Doubt (Thomas Nelson, 2012) and God, Locke, and Liberty: The Struggle for Religious Freedom in the West (Lexington Books, 2014). His other books are The End of Illusions: Religious Leaders Confront Hitler’s Gathering Storm (Rowman & Littlefield, 2004) and Seducing the Samaritan: How Government Contracts Are Reshaping Social Services (The Pioneer Institute, 1997). His commentary on religion and democracy, human rights, and international religious freedom appears in the nation’s leading media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New Republic, The Weekly Standard, and National Public Radio. He is also a regular contributor to the London-based Standpoint Magazine and Italy’s La Stampa.

Loconte has testified before Congress on international human rights and served as a human rights expert on the 2005 Congressional Task Force on the United Nations, contributing to its final report, “American Interests and U.N. Reform.” He was an informal advisor/speechwriter for British MP Andrew Mitchell, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development. From 2001-2003, he was an informal advisor to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. He now serves as a senior fellow at the Trinity Forum and as an affiliated scholar at the John Jay Institute.

A native of Brooklyn, NY, Loconte divides his time between New York City and the Washington, D.C. area.

Reviews

[Abby Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took a little bit to get into though some parts were interesting. Mostly meandering. I lost sense of the thesis.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so much enjoy a book that delves into the creative minds of great thinkers. Tolkien and Lewis wrote some of the greatest works of the twentieth century, which not only provided fabulously entertaining narratives but also packed a lot of meaning into their words.

"In his [Lewis] works of fiction, ... the faculty of reason also plays an indispensable role in piercing the Darkness." Given the current environment, this is needed now more than ever.

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the friendship between Lewis and Tolkien, and reading this book gave such wonderful insight into how the friendship was formed and how it grew during the years leading up to World War II.
I enjoyed reading about the writings that influenced them, and how the world’s climate made them determined to write stories that would counter that climate.
Now to decide: does the book belong on my Tolkien shelf, Lewis shelf, or WWII shelf?

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed hearing the history of not only the time period when books like Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia were being written, but also the friendships and growth that these and other authors had during the hard times leading up to and during World War II. I also found it intriguing to hear about other authors and books that influenced the persona and writing of these books.
Before reading this, I didn't know that this same author had written another book about Tolkien and Lewis during the time of World War I. Since I learned a lot from this book, I am interested in reading the other one as well.
Definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys these well-known classics, history and World War II.

[Ivor Armistead · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very intriguing book that comes close to my five star level. I have read much of what Tolkien and Lewis have written and would love to time-travel back to Oxford in the 1930s to spend an evening with the Inklings at the “Bird and Baby” enjoying a pint, smoking my pipe and just listening to the conversation. But, this book is much deeper than other accounts of the works and relationships of Tolkien and Lewis, including the enjoyable book “The Inklings” by Humphrey Carpenter. In “The War for Middle Earth” Mr. Loconte focuses on the interwar years of the 1920s and 30s and the failure of the Western European democracies to shake off their war weariness and fascination with science, materialism and modernity and recognize the growing threats of Fascism and Communism. The book exposes and explores the efforts of Tolkien, Lewis and others to reignite a recognition of age old moral truths and the necessity of confronting the evils of totalitarian states committed to expansion and the eradication of their perceived enemies. The lessons of Tolkien and Lewis are timeless and of continuing relevance a century later. Whether or not Christianity is the only or best path to a communal commitment to ethics and morality is another question.

[Danelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The War for Middle-earth does a beautiful job of exp0loring the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and showing how their fantasy works (Lord of the Rings and Narnia) weren't just escapes, but novels deeply shaped by the moral and cultural ideals of their time--especially the events of WWI and WWII. The focus on the themes of individual human dignity, and "individual courage to combat evil” rang true for me on so many levels, and was a hopeful message in today's political landscape.

I was especially impressed by the depth of love and friendship between these two men, and often moved to tears by their joint commitment to speak out against the philosophies of leaders like Hitler and Stalin through their stories and literature. The writing tends to be a bit academic at times, but overall the book is very accessible to all readers interested in faith, literature and/or history. The behind the scenes insights added so much to writing by both authors that I already knew and loved! Although much of the general history in the book is well known, I learned so much that I didn't know about these men and their commitment to keeping alive ideals like love, virtue, valor and truth. I consider this a "must-read" for fans of Tolkien and Lewis.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your usual 'Lewis and Tolkien were buddies' story. Puts their scholarly and literary work in its proper historical, cultural, and philosophical context in a very accessible manner that general readers will find understandable and engaging. A challenge and inspiration for intellectuals and artists of any variety to identify and resist, rather than mindlessly sell themselves out to, the reigning 'zeitgeist' of our time.

The only reason I don't give it five stars is the clunky, intrusive, distracting, unnecessary, pandering and pretentious attempts at gender-neutral language.

[Rick Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. I loved the deep dive into how their service in World War I and the events leading up to, and during, World War II affected what Tolkien and C.S. Lewis wrote, how they wrote, and how current events seeped into their most famous works. I also enjoyed learning more about their friendship. Highly recommend for fans of Tolkien and/or Lewis!

[Jenny Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a child of two WWII parents, the era of my parents has long fascinated me. This excellent resource placed me in the midst of the horrors of war as opposed to the view from my native US.
This book also explains why neither of my parents read LOTR or Narnia. But I’m very glad I did.
Well done, Laconte, well done.

[Stratkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loconte does a really nice job of situating the history with the biographical material. While the thesis came off a bit strained at times, I am convinced that it is correct. These two authors (Lewis and Tolkien) have done more to invigorate moral courage in the wake of two world wars and crushing nihilism than almost anyone else.

[christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The War for Middle Earth, historian Joseph Loconte offers an exhaustively researched and insightful examination of the lives and works of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien in the context of World War II and the decade preceding it. He discusses the ideological water in which Lewis and Tolkien swam and worked, the interbellum and WW2 history of Great Britain, the friendship and writerly encouragement between Lewis and Tolkien (and the other Inklings, but these two centrally), and the way the world events from the First World War through the rise of totalitarianism and the Second World War shaped their imaginations and work. Gazing in the “distant mirror” (Barbara Tuchman’s phrase) of history through this book feels both emotionally moving and ideologically important. It helps me see my own time more clearly and charts a course for thoughtful, creative Christians living in another tumultuous age. I would shelve it between the works of the Inklings and the works of Francis Schaeffer. It builds on the foundation Loconte laid in NY Times best-seller A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and the Great War.

The best-known fictional works of Lewis and Tolkien bear the mark of the wars on the authors. Lord of the Rings was substantially written during World War II, and the fellowship—like the British, especially from Dunkirk on—fought valiantly against an evil existential threat with no certainty of victory. The British fought on against Italian and German fascism, even with a very real risk of obliteration from the air, of invasion by sea, and of mass starvation on an island suddenly cut off from the resources of her allies and Commonwealth. Like the fellowship, they fought on because they believed they fought a wickedness so great that it must be resisted, even if they died in the attempt. It is easy today, especially from North America, to underestimate that mortal peril to civilians and British civilization when looking back, already knowing the outcome.

The literary epics Lewis and Tolkien loved, the tales like Beowulf which forged their own moral imaginations, convinced them that modern Christian myth-making (“mythopoeia”) could kindle courage in a disillusioned and hopeless generation. From their own experiences of transformation through beloved stories, from Norse legend to the Aeneid to Beowulf to Paradise Lost to George Macdonald, they knew that great stories could be levers with which to shift imaginations and affections. After all, conversations with Tolkien and Hugo Dyson about the supreme Myth to which all lesser stories point proved crucial in C S Lewis’s conversion to faith in Christ. This is not to say that they made stories intended primarily for moral instruction; rather, the underlying values the stories embodied portrayed the good and true as beautiful and desirable and unmasked the bad and false as ugly and repellent.

Into the prevailing climate of materialism, they unflinchingly insisted on an unseen reality greater and more important than what can be seen, felt, and measured.

Into the climate of religious doubt, they pointed to the Creator as the source of hope, goodness, and rescue for our bent and broken humanity.

Into a climate of eugenics, they portrayed a world where even Gollum deserved life and compassion, whereas genetic engineering produced the monstrous Urukhai, and the villains of the National Institute of Co-ordinated Experiments (NICE) felt no qualms about eugenic experiments. Lord Feverstone, one of the architects of NICE’s planned society, even said:

“Man has got to take charge of man. That means, remember, that some men have got to take charge of the rest—which is another reason for cashing in on it as soon as one can. You and I want to be the people who do the taking charge, not the ones who are taken charge of. Quite.”
“What sort of thing have you in mind?”
“Quite simple and obvious things, at first—sterilisation of the unfit, liquidation of backward races (we don’t want any dead weights), selective breeding. Then real education, including pre-natal education. By real education I mean one that has no ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ nonsense. A real education makes the patient what it wants infallibly: whatever he or his parents try to do about it. Of course, it’ll have to be mainly psychological at first. But we’ll get on to biochemical conditioning in the end and direct manipulation of the brain” (C.S. Lewis, The Space Trilogy, 473).

Into a climate of racism, they offered the beauty of reconciliation and deep friendship between a dwarf and an elf, and the harmonious cooperation between the three primary sentient life forms on Malacandra.

Into a climate of totalitarianism, they presented the wonder of humble, sacrificial leadership in Aragorn and Ransom and the need of diverse gifts, united in one purpose, if good were to triumph. Sauron, Weston the sun-Man, the White Witch of Narnia, and the NICE, on the other hand, showed the will to power in all its ugly, soul-destroying evil.

Into a climate of atheistic evolution, they painted pictures of a radiant, flourishing personal creation filled with song and color.

Into a climate of peace-at-any-price isolationism and appeasement, they upheld the old beliefs in a true moral good worth defending, even at the cost of life itself, and true moral evil so grave that it must be opposed, though one die in the attempt.

Into a climate of disillusion and dissolution, they held out hope like starlight captured in a glass and display the beauty of lives lived in honor, humility, courage, and sacrificial service. They pointed us toward faith that eucatastrophe is possible, even when hope seems lost, even if death itself must work backward to bring about that sudden, joyful turn of events.

Lewis’s space trilogy was produced in the furnace of war and the dual totalitarian ideologies of fascism and communism, both based on “the will to power.” Lewis wrote it as a counter-narrative to the atheistic and nihilist science fiction of H. G. Wells. Lewis also mentored and encouraged the evacuees lodging at his home, the same evacuees who provided the germ of the idea of the first Narnian story. Quotes from one evacuee whose career course he redirected and from both dons’ former students brought their teaching work to life.

In addition to the imaginative works, Lewis began his Christian apologetic work and honed his ability to communicate to lay persons of varied educational backgrounds as a direct result of World War II. For example, listening to a radio broadcast of a spell-binding speech by Hitler sparked Lewis’s idea for The Screwtape Letters. The essay “Learning in Wartime” began as a sermon to an Oxford congregation. The talks which became Mere Christianity were requested by the head of the BBC to fortify the British with the moral courage and eternal hope they needed to resist at great cost instead of surrender. The Abolition of Man began as talks for the University of Durham. Lewis also traveled the length of Britain sharing Christian hope with the very young airmen of the Royal Air Force, men whom Lewis knew may not have another opportunity to hear the gospel message before flying into death for King and country. If that were not enough, he also agreed to a student’s request that he preside over the new Oxford Socratic Club.

Lewis’s enthusiasm and “indefatigable” collegial criticism spurred perfectionist Tolkien to stop revising/rewriting and finish The Hobbit and LOTR. Tolkien acknowledged to Walter Hooper, “‘You know, C. S. Lewis was such a boy, he had to have a story. And that story, The Lord of the Rings, was written to keep him quiet!’” (Kindle location 3623). While neither work was an allegory—Tolkien made no bones about that—the latter chapters of The Hobbit and the whole of LOTR were haunted by the darkness threatening the real world of the author during the writing and the terror he had already lived through in the Great War.

The aerial attacks of the Nazgul…

the treachery of Saruman…

the will to power embodied by Saruman, Sauron, and, in incipient form, in Boromir…

the demand for courage against an unbeatable foe because ceasing to fight would be worse than ceasing to live…

the darkness and lean rations of besieged Gondor and of Sam and Frodo on their trek to Mordor…

the constant second-guessing: whom to trust, which path to take, which priority to address first…

the temptation to trust the strength of the mighty more than the virtue of the cause…

the feeling that the survival of all Middle Earth came down to quite ordinary hobbits from a little homely place called the Shire…

the need for real, deep, sometimes unlikely friendship in order to carry on fighting…

the unlikely rewards of showing compassion, by the hobbits to Gollum, for instance, and by Faramir to Sam and Frodo…

And lines like this:

“‘Always after a defeat and a respite, the Shadow takes another shape and grows again.’
‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo.
‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. And already, Frodo, our time is beginning to look black. The Enemy is fast becoming very strong. His plans are far from ripe, I think, but they are ripening. We shall be hard put to it.” (J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, 54).

When else in the twentieth century would these themes have been more resonant with the popular imagination or more at the forefront of an author’s mind? Lewis went so far as to say of the finished work, “‘So much of your whole life, so much of our joint life, so much of the war, so much that seemed to be slipping away spurlos [without a trace] into the past, is now, in a sort, made permanent.’”

Loconte continued, “It is an extraordinary thing to say: Through the use of his imagination, Tolkien captured something of the quality of their common life and the moral and spiritual truths that gave it meaning. He accomplished this only after years of struggle, battling doubts and discouragement, amid the ravages of the most horrifying war in history. Here is what friendship can achieve when it reaches for a high purpose and is watered by the streams of loyalty, sacrifice, and love” (Kindle location 3623).

Consequently, even though The Lord of the Rings was not an allegory of World War II, life in England during the war provided the terroir in which the seeds of the story sprouted and bore fruit. So much of the power of the trilogy lay in the steadily growing sense of doom, juxtaposed against the sweetness of friendship and surprising interludes of grace, all the way to the sudden, joyous eucatastrophe when hope seemed extinguished. The courage, heartbreak, hunger, exhaustion, grief, and determination pervading the trilogy came from the pen of someone who tasted them himself. The unfolding chapters sustained the Inklings as they were being written and discussed, and I expect they also sustained Tolkien’s sons on the front lines as they received the chapters in progress in their father’s letters.

It astonished me how committed the Inklings were to bi-weekly meetings throughout WW2 and how prolific Lewis and Tolkien were during this harrowing time, in addition to their full-time teaching responsibilities, family demands, illnesses, and assorted war work on the home front. From 1939 to 1945, in addition to the works already mentioned, Lewis completed The Problem of Pain, The Great Divorce, the essay “The Inner Ring,” and the talks which became Preface to Paradise Lost. Tolkien completed the first draft of LOTR, delivered the address which became the long essay “On Fairy-Stories” and wrote Leaf by Niggle and more Letters from Father Christmas. The image of these middle-aged literary men, all veterans of the Great War, wending their ways through Oxford, manuscripts-in-progress in hand, to a Tuesday morning at the pub was beautiful. Envisioning them navigating cobbled streets in blacked-out nights, carrying gas masks as well as manuscripts, ears alert to air raid sirens, so that they could sit together in Lewis’s rooms to read, encourage, and critique each others’ words—this was exquisite. “Learning in Wartime” applied to Oxford dons too.

Due to paper rationing, Tolkien had to resort to writing his books on blank pages left at the end of students’ exam papers or as a palimpsest on the graded pages themselves. Tolkien and Lewis both adapted and taught condensed curricula for young men soon to ship out, in addition to their usual teaching duties. Tolkien served as an air raid warden, watching for German planes and fires and making night patrols to enforce blackouts, curfews, taking shelter during air raids, and carrying of gas masks. In addition to public speaking, Lewis served in the Home Guard. They also both engaged in wide-reaching correspondence with friends, religious leaders, colleagues, and family members. (This included two of Tolkien’s sons and Lewis’s brother Warnie, all serving in the British armed forces.)

What a remarkable look at a remarkable pair during a remarkable time in history. The survey of prevailing philosophies in the west between the world wars was exceptional in clarity and breadth. Loconte’s arguments against blaming the rise of totalitarianism on Versailles would merit further consideration. The skillful use of primary sources and interviews with the professors’ students brought the history to life. This well-written book would enrich the reading lives of those interested in the two writers discussed, of course, but also those interested in the history of ideas, the history of Great Britain in the 1930s and 1940s, and literary criticism (i.e., books about books).

Today’s Christian creators can learn much from Lewis and Tolkien about the consciously countercultural leverage of imagination to effect ideological change. Disillusion and dissolution need not have the final word in our day any more than in theirs. There are still (and will always be, until the Lord returns) evils worthy of resistance, even with no apparent chance of victory. Let us press on in fighting for the good, true, and beautiful, for Frodo and the Shire, for Narnia and the North. Professors Lewis and Tolkien (and this book about them) have shown us the way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tyndale for early access to this book.

[William Forbes · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot of excellent information here both on Tolkien/Lewis and WW2 history. However, it did feel a little meandering and unfocused at times. I feel that there were multiple theses that would at times clash.

[Ben Hutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read if you’re a fan of Lewis and Tolkien. The author overlays the worlds of Narnia and Middle Earth atop the authors ‘ WW2 years.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost two thousand years ago, St. Augustine wrote "Bad times, hard times, this is what people keep saying, but let us live well, and times will be good. We are the times. Such as we are, such are the times." I think this is good advice, generally speaking, and it highlights the Stoic principle that in the end, all we can control is ourselves, and how we respond to the things that happen to and around us. But with that said, there are times that are especially fraught, and the period of time covered in this book--World War One, then the build up to and ending of World War Two--were particularly challenging (to say the least). There is a good reason why we call those who survived those years 'the Greatest Generation."

Tolkien and Lewis, two veterans of the Great War, academics, and writers, lived in those times and responded to them by creating works of literature that have changed the lives of millions. Their novel idea (no pun intended) was to respond to the darkness of their time--totalitarianism, communism, Nazism, scientism, and the general weakening of society's view of mankind's nature--with stories of heroism, kindness, and love. They wrote fantasy and science fiction stories that not only entertained, but elevated, and reenchanted, the worlds of those who read them, and continue to read them. To put is simply, Narnia isn't about a talking lion, and The Lord of the Rings is not about magic rings. The stories are about what's best in people, especially the average person. Their fictional worlds are mirrors of our own in that the darkness is held at bay, even defeated, by the smallest of people: children who are sent away from their home in the face of indiscriminate war, and hobbits who leave their safe and comfortable lives in order to save the world.

A few decades before Tolkien and Lewis wrote their famous books, the Catholic writer G.K. Chesterton wrote, "Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon."

We tell ourselves stories, Joan Didion said, so that we may live, and we tell children--and adults--stories about dragons not because dragons are real (they are not), but because dragons can be defeated. That is the power of mythopoeia.

[Susan Wachtel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The War for Middle-earth by Joseph Loconte – Wonderful, Fascinating, Inspiring, and Insightful

As someone who loves reading about WWII history, I was excited to read Joseph Loconte’s new book The War for Middle-earth: J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Confront the Gathering Storm, 1933-1945. This book shows impact of The Great War, on two men who fought in WWI, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis. Great writers whose works have touched generations. How the devastation they witnessed and experienced transformed how they viewed the world.

Their friendship with one another, and other like-minded men, helped anchor their Christian faith. These men appreciated English literature and saw the value of myths and legends and how they impact cultures. Together they were able to explore ideas, understand moral values rooted in truth, the knowledge of good and evil, and the importance of bravery in the face of impossible odds.

While they were in Oxford England during WWII, their writings and lectures helped to battle the cultural moral decay that led to racism, anti-Semitism, eugenics, totalitarianism, and communism.

I loved reading The War for Middle-earth and learning about what impacted and influenced Tolkien and Lewis and how it resulted in their timeless writings that impacted their generation and beyond. Eighty years later, people are still being touch and inspired by their novels.

After reading The War for Middle-earth by Joseph Loconte, I am looking forward to going back and rereading Tolkien and Lewis’ books, including The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia. Reading the books will be even richer having learned what influenced these men and drove them write and create worlds from their imagination.

The War for Middle-earth by Joseph Loconte is a wonderful, fascinating, insightful, and inspiring book about J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Well researched and well written.
I would like to thank Thomas Nelson Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of The War for Middle-earth by Joseph Loconte. I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

[English · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Fascinating Premise That Doesn't Fully Deliver (3/5 stars)

Joseph Laconte's The War for Middle-earth tackles an intriguing question: how did the shadow of World War II shape two of the 20th century's most influential fantasy writers? The premise is compelling, and there are genuinely illuminating moments where Laconte draws connections between the gathering darkness in Europe and the mythic struggles in Tolkien's Middle-earth and Lewis's Narnia.

The Lewis material is notably stronger—and for good reason. Lewis explicitly wrote about World War II: his wartime broadcasts, essays, and apologetics directly engaged with the conflict. The connection between the Pevensie children and the evacuees Lewis and his brother took in during the war is well-documented and makes for engaging reading. Laconte has solid ground to stand on here.

The Tolkien sections are far more problematic. Tolkien never explicitly wrote about WWII except the odd mention in his letters. He lived through it with two sons in the armed forces. His formative war was WWI—the Somme, the trenches, the loss of friends.
When Laconte tries to draw WWII parallels to Middle-earth, he's working with inference rather than evidence, sometimes treating allegory where Tolkien explicitly denied it. Worse, some connections appear borrowed from other scholars' interpretations rather than from Tolkien himself, creating a game of telephone that moves further from the author's actual intent.

Having read Laconte's previous work on Tolkien and Lewis in World War I—a war both men did explicitly engage with—I found this book disappointing by comparison. The earlier work felt grounded in reality; this one too often reaches for meaning that isn't there.

Still, for readers curious about how world events influenced literary imagination, this offers a worthwhile if flawed entry point.

Thanks to Nelson books for approving me for this title on Netgalley. I was not required to write a review.

[Joanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book that was informative, entertaining, and because of the subject material, inspirational. Loconte's writing style flows beautifully, and the way he breaks up the subject matter even within an individual chapter makes it easy to digest.

Although fans of Tokien's and/or Lewis' works are inherently bound to be attracted to this title, a reader need not have read any of their works to appreciate Loconte's book. Passages and characters from their various works and the experiences that inspired them are referenced throughout the text, but the book is more about the friendship between the two, the important impact that friendship had on each of them, and the broader importance of what their works meant not just for their own time leading up to and through World War II, but its impact even today.

Likely because Lord of the Rings has enjoyed a much more successful film adaptation and isn't as blaringly Christian in its themes, Lewis is arguably perceived in modern times as the junior partner in this duo. What this book demonstrates, however, is how they were equals with an impact that was so essential to making the other what he became. Tolkien's unfailing Catholic faith even through the horrors of World War I played a huge role in Lewis converting back to Christianity, while Lewis's constant pressure on Tolkien and belief in his friend's greatness ultimately helped him to complete his Lord of the Rings trilogy. Furthermore, I was left with an even greater appreciation for the Christian overtones displayed in the works of Lewis when you learn from his own words that he was the most reluctant convert back to Christianity.

Lastly, this book drove home the fact that the writings of Tolkien and Lewis are timeless, capable of providing lessons, inspiration, and hope for any generation.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Imagine this, in the mid 1900s two Oxford Dons stood against the evils of communism and fascism. They decried both as being a betrayal to the traditions of liberalism, which places the individual human at the center of modern political experiment. But always under God. There is a universalism that cannot be wished away, the fact that we are all created in the image of God and must stand naked before Him some day and answer for what we have done. If you take God out of this, you get libertinism and a "you-do-you" degeneracy that is basically worship of self and through ourselves the devil. But if you take the individual out of this, you get a brutal collectivism -- either an oxygenless Soviet Scientism that knows no humanity or a blood-and-soil nativism that only sees the tribe. Jesus did not die for bees in a hive, nor did he die for one group over another.

This book is about how two amazing minds, people who were friends and who were Christians (one Catholic and one Anglican) used rejuvenation of the epic mythologies of northern Europe, but infused with what Tolkien called the Christian idea of eucatastrophe, to help anchor resistance to Nazism and Soviet Communism in a love of tradition and culture and faith and fellowship.

Extremely important, especially these days.

[Dave Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book that quietly snuck its way into my Advent reading and proved to be a perfect fit. It's a book that is about multiple things at once

Examining the relationship between these two thinkers and storytellers
Exploring the war soaked world that framed their thinking and their ideas
Unpacking the larger themes to which both figures point in making sense of this world

The journey here is one that brings us to the heart of Lewis and Tolkien's wrestling with the failed promises of modernism. A space that finds the romanticism that keeps grabbing for the world of myth telling even as the force of modernism keeps dragging the world forward into its vision of rationalism and progress. The war for middle earth stands tall here as not just a war between light and dark, but between meaning making and reductionism. A war between the restlessness of souls caught between competing narratives, and two now larger than life figures representing this unique point in time in this singular space of the world entrenched in the battle to forge this ground between East and West, old and new, all by appealing to the power of story.

It's a reminder of what the season of advent represents, largely walking through the space that informed second temple Judaism and the reality of exile. A world caught between the formative myth-telling on one side and the seeds of the west that Rome represents on the other. Both reflective of a world tasked with navigating this shared reality of both light and dark existing in tension. In this case Laconte does a masterful job of unpacking not just why the war for Middle-earth matters, but what that reveals about why our world matters. It's as much about the world of war that shaped their point of perspective as it is about the nature of hope that breaks through in its midst.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

An examination of how the circumstances and experiences of Tolkien and Lewis before and during WWII lead to their famous stories and published work.

Why I started this book: I had read and enjoyed A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-18 and was interested in what else I could learn about Tolkien and Lewis.

Why I finished it: I'm not sure how much of this is a rehash of the first book, but it was very interesting to place the writing in the full context of Tolkien's and Lewis's war experiences, responsibilities, family circumstances and perspectives. I loved that Loconte emphasized their deliberate choices to write stories of courage against unbeatable forces and the importance of doing your own small part.

[Eric Lussier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Admittedly this book drew my attention based on a great title and my love for Tolkien and Lewis as authors. I read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings way back in my middle school years and also read Chronicles of Narnia perhaps near the same time period. I was drawn to the book for more glimpses as to specific writing sections and scenes as influenced by historical facts. You get this in the conclusion very well but I struggled with the first 50 pages or so to see how this was headed. This is a well researched historical perspective of what was going on when Tolkien and Lewis were becoming friends. I was expecting more narrative rather than historical facts which is simply my own preference. For me this wasn’t exactly what I was expecting or looking for but that’s personal preference. I wanted more chapters like the conclusion and summary and less historical scene setting and background. I’m glad I read it but it was a bit of a slog at first to get through for where my expectations and interests were.

[Brianne Schreck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I was really intrigued to read this as a fan of Tolkien (not really a fan of Lewis) as well as being a historian whose focus is both World Wars and the inter-war period. I think the author showed that they were well researched and they did delve deep into what was occurring in Tolkien and Lewis’ lives that influenced their writings.

I would say as someone who does read academic papers, it did feel similar to something I would find in an academic journal. I think they also tackled a very complex time period and topic well. I learned more than I had previously about both authors and where their lives fit in the wars.

For me, I was a perfectly good in depth analysis of the two authors lives during the interwar period. It did feel presented like it would be more Tolkien based, while including Lewis, but it felt the opposite. I did not check to see what statistically the balance of both authors were, it just felt more like it was slightly more Lewis focused. Perhaps this may be why I feel like I could not rate this higher as I enjoy Tolkien more than Lewis.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going back and forth on this one. I think it’s most useful to those who are not literary critics (the author is a historian) and who aren’t as familiar with the lives of Lewis and Tolkien and the history of both wars (why he can’t refer to them as World War I and II seemed strange). He unearths a lot of interesting primary material from the letters of both authors. But I didn’t really learn anything new about them. The writing felt over the top at times—more evangelical than scholarly. Sometimes the argument felt a little forced. Also, if you’re publishing a book in late 2025 and talking frequently about T and L’s rejection of authoritarianism, and conclude with your family’s immigrant story and love of America, and you don’t make any mention of our current moment, well, it’s strange. At the very least, a missed opportunity.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking. Would recommend for those who’ve found appreciation for Lewis or Tolkien’s works and are curious to learn more about their influences and drivers. The author approaches the book from a very specific worldview, which is very apparent in his analysis.

—Mild spoiler re: thesis—

Loconte’s major claim is that Lewis and Tolkien’s fantasy writings conveyed a message of purpose, nobility, and virtue against the chaos, secularism, and cynicism of the post-WWI world. Current events might have us believe the chaos and cynicism has only deepened, and that ideals of virtue are indeed “fanciful” or disingenuous. However, can we truly say we have known chaos or uncertainty more than what that generation endured?

[Greg Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Loconte’s first book”A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War”, I was anxious to read this sequel. My copy was a pre-release kindle version from NetGalley with minimal functionality.

This is a great book to understand what was transpiring in Europe between the end of WW1 and the start of WW2. The book focuses on how England stood against Hitler by themselves before America was forced to enter the war.

And, of course, the primary focus is on how Tolkien and Lewis became friends that helped each other to write the classic stories of fantasy and common individuals becoming the heroes of these stories.

[J Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a perfect book but couldn't give 4.5 stars. Very relevant for the world today. Makes one wish for such wise sages in the public sphere and sadly not only are they lacking but the conversation in the arts of print and movies has devolved for the most part to the worst of what these 2 amazing authors warned us about. It seems that popular media, politics and public discourse has been invaded by "the makers of misery (destroying) in others the happiness they reject for themselves" (Lewis; The Great Divorce) This author provides a great reminder of the impact these 2 authors have made in my life for more than 60 years.

[Oleg G · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think The Lord of the Rings and Narnia are just "escapist" fairy tales, this book will change your mind.

Wigard shows how Tolkien and Lewis used their friendship and their fiction to process the absolute chaos of WWII. While Hitler was rising and bombs were falling on England, these two were at the pub, pushing each other to write stories about hope and standing up to darkness.

The takeaway: Middle-earth and Narnia weren't just made-up worlds; they were how two buddies tried to make sense of a world on fire. It's a quick, fascinating read that makes you want to re-read the classics with fresh eyes.

[Russel Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a survey of the interwar years and those of WWII in Britain it was fine. As a survey of the respective outputs of Lewis and Tolkien in this period, it was also solid. It was less effective, however, at demonstrating the real connections between that writing and the experience of both authors as participants in the First World War and as spectators throughout the Second. Those connections were more speculative than they were proven, and most of those connections were drawn first and in greater depth by other scholars. Enjoyable to read (or in my case listen), but not treading much new ground.

[Kevin Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Setting the fiction of Tolkien and Lewis in the context of the World Wars, their deep roots in Western literature/mythology, and their friendship with one another illuminates the lasting importance of their work. In this book, Loconte doesn't bring new insights that unlock some esoteric meaning behind the works. Instead, he weaves together a fascinating narrative of the world events, biographical details, and other lesser known writings that should provide a deeper appreciation for these authors.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reveals in great detail the ways that World Wars I and II, as well as the deep friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, informed and inspired their greatest writing. Seeing the timeline of their writing set in context of world events makes their work even more powerful and moving. Their bold idea, to re-infuse the world with the Moral Law and the Good, ignites the same passion in this reader’s heart for a return to the days when we remembered that some things are worth giving your all—even your life.