{"title":"Books by Professor Nick Groom","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781838957001","title":"Twenty-First-Century Tolkien","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Fascinating.... Wonderfully exhilarating.' \u003ci\u003eMail on Sunday\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFinalist for The Tolkien Society Best Book Award\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn engaging, original and radical reassessment of J.R.R. Tolkien, revealing how his visionary creation of Middle-Earth is more relevant now than ever before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat is it about Middle-Earth and its inhabitants that has captured the imagination of millions of people around the world? And why does Tolkien's visionary creation continue to fascinate and inspire us eighty-five years on from its first appearance?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBeginning with Tolkien's earliest influences and drawing on key moments from his life, \u003ci\u003eTwenty-First-Century Tolkien\u003c\/i\u003e is an engaging and radical reinterpretation of the beloved author's work. Not only does it trace the genesis of the original books, it also explores the later adaptations and reworkings that cemented his reputation as a cultural phenomenon, including Peter Jackson's blockbuster films of \u003ci\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/i\u003e and the highly anticipated TV series \u003ci\u003eThe Rings of Power\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDelving deep into topics such as friendship, failure, the environment, diversity, and Tolkien's place in a post-Covid age, Nick Groom takes us on an unexpected journey through Tolkien's world, revealing how it is more relevant now than ever before.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43205703139506,"sku":"9781838957001","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781838957001_cea61676-f0c0-49e6-a64f-2e21695d18de.jpg?v=1786028428"},{"product_id":"9781786491480","title":"The Union Jack","description":"\u003cp\u003eKnown the world over as a symbol of the United Kingdom, the Union Jack is an intricate construction based on the crosses of St George, St Andrew and St Patrick.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNick Groom traces its long and fascinating past, from the development of the Royal Standard and seventeenth-century clashes over the precise balance of the English and Scottish elements of the first Union Jack to the modern controversies over the flag as a symbol of empire and its exploitation by ultra-rightwing political groups.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Union Jack \u003c\/i\u003eis the first history of the icon used by everyone from the royalty to the military, pop stars and celebrities.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56305428955509,"sku":"9781786491480","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781786491480_9b95f475-b078-475b-98b5-4c2db2db7e36.jpg?v=1786026151"},{"product_id":"seasons","title":"The Seasons","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eShortlisted for the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award and runner-up for \u003ci\u003eCountryfile\u003c\/i\u003e Book of the Year. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor millennia, the passing seasons and their rhythms have marked our progress through the year. But what do they mean to us now that we lead increasingly atomised and urban lives and our weather becomes ever more unpredictable or extreme?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this splendidly rich and lyrical celebration of the English seasons, Nick Groom investigates the trove of strange folklore and often stranger fact they have accumulated over the centuries and shows how tradition and our links with nature still have a vital role to play in all our lives.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57490238046581,"sku":"9781848871625","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781848871625.jpg?v=1786442123"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-professor-nick-groom.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}