J.R.R. Tolkien and the battle of the Somme

1st July 1916, 7.28 am, in La Boisselle, a small village in Picardy.

A column of earth, spurted out by 27 tonnes of explosives, suddenly rose 1200 metres high. That marked the beginning of the Battle of the Somme. That was when a young Oxford graduate, a 24-year old British officer called J. R. R. Tolkien-still completely unknown to the world-was plunged into the very heart of one of the deadliest battles in History.

With his feet stuck in the mud of the trenches and enemy fire whizzing by on all sides, claiming the lives of thousands of young men, Tolkien retained a vivid memory of the images, atmosphere and feelings which, mingled with his literary influences and taste for languages, would shape the foundations of Middle-earth.

An unsung portrayal of the young officer Tolkien and the birth of his mythology.