Christopher Tolkien tells us that the manuscripts for this story are “in great, though hardly exceptional, confusion” — so it seems this podcast is in good company. Join The Man of the West and The Nerd of the Rings as we begin to sort through the...
Sauron had never paid heed to the halflings, even if he had heard of them — and Matt still doesn’t pay heed to Alan, even if he works with him. Join The Man of the West and The Nerd of the Rings as we begin our four-part dive into the chapter The...
Of the Elessar two things are said, though which is true only those Wise could say who now are gone — to paraphrase Merry, “that leaves us out, James”. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as we return from our short break from The...
Christopher Tolkien explains that “the textual situation… is complex and hard to unravel.” Fortunately, the podcast situation is quite simple. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we conclude our time with the Dwarves –...
Gandalf worries that the dragon Sauron might use with terrible effect; Sara worries that the bad jokes Alan might use with terrible effect. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we begin our longer-than-expected look into The...
They say that Gandalf is wise and knows more than any other of what goes on in the world; they say Alan can sometimes do math. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we continue our team in Appendix A III to The Lord of the Rings...
Thráin escapes the Balrog in Moria and establishes Erebor; Sara can’t escape Alan and the PPP quite yet, despite her best efforts. Join The Man of the West and The Shieldmaiden of Rohan as we begin a five-part look at the Dwarves, starting with two...
The Marshals of the Mark faithfully serve the King by leading their trained Riders in battle; Matt faithfully serves Alan by… well, we’re still figuring that one out. Join The Man of the West and The Nerd of the Rings as they dive into the inner...
Tom talks in trochaic tetrameter today, triggering a trend. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South in his last episode (this season) as we answer listener questions in our 27th Questions After Nightfall! From popular misconceptions about...
Dark shapes and dreadful things are terrifying Barliman; James and Alan will try not to make it any worse. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as the hobbits conclude their visit to Bree in the final episode on Homeward Bound...