Mary Salu retired as Principal Lecturer in English, St. Mary's College, Newcastle upon Tyne. The late Robert T. Farrell was Professor of English, Medieval Studies, and Archaeology at Cornell University.

This handsome volume is not only in memory of a distinguished scholar and storyteller but in honor of him, also, and merits a prominent place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in medieval studies or in Tolkien's fiction—if indeed his readership can be so nearly divided into two groups.(Christianity and Literature) "This is a book to read and savor many times. Tolkien emerges as a Christian; a learned linguist of Old Celtic, Old Welsh, Old Norse, Old French, Greek, Latin, et al; an artist and storyteller; a humanitarian and family man; and 'the best and worst talker in Oxford—worst for the rapidity and indistinctness of his speech, and best for the penetration, learning, humor, and "race" of what he said.'"—Birmingham News

• PrefacePart OneProfessor J. R. R. Tolkien: Obituary from The Times, London, 3 September 1973Valedictory Address to the University of Oxford, 5 June 1959by J. R. R. Tolkien1. The Man and the Scholarby S. T. R. O. d'ArdennePart Two2. Beowulf Lines 3074–3075by A. J. Bliss3. Layamon's English Sourcesby P. J. Frankis4. God, Death, and Loyalty in The Battle of Maldonby Fred C. Robinson5. Geoweorpa: "Once Held in High Esteem"by E. G. Stanley6. Narrative Insight in Laxdœla Sagaby Ursula Dronke7. Nosce te ipsum: Some Medieval Interpretationsby J. A. W. Bennett8. Chaucer's Man of Law and His Tale: The Eccentric Designby Robert T. Farrell9. Chaucer and "Pite"by Douglas Gray10. Make Believe: Chaucer's Rationale of Storytelling in The House of Fameby Geoffrey T. Shepherd11. Moral Chaucer and Kindly Gowerby Rosemary WoolfPart Three12. The Lord of the Rings as Romanceby Derek S. Brewer13. The Gospel of Middle-Earth according to J. R. R. Tolkienby William Dowie14. Creation from Philology in The Lord of the Ringsby T. A. ShippeyHandlist of the Published Writings of J. R. R. Tolkienby Humphrey CarpenterIndex