150. Tolkien’s Battle Tactics – The Hobbit #35

150. Tolkien’s Battle Tactics – The Hobbit #35

Did Tolkien “earn” The Battle of the Five Armies, or is the surprise enough to justify its existence? In this episode, we look at Tolkien’s climactic battle from The Hobbit, comparing how it unfolds on the page to its chaotic portrayal in the extended film edition. How do armies materialize so suddenly, and does Tolkien set the stage well enough for the goblin onslaught?

Check out the Battle of the Five Armies Map!

We also explore:

  • Tolkien’s battle tactics vs Peter Jackson’s video game tactics.
  • Why did Bilbo chooses the Elven King’s side?
  • Trying to make sense of Peter Jackson’s battle map vs Tolkien’s map.
  • Tolkien’s knowledge of medieval warfare.
  • Is Thorin’s charge from the gate truly enough to change the tide of battle?

In our extended episode (available for our members) we talk about:

  • Whether the goblin army’s sudden arrival is really “earned” in the story, or if Tolkien’s plotting gives us room to quibble.
  • How small additions could have made the battle less sudden—should there have been hints via raven messenger?
  • Where would a talking Raven fit into The Lord of the Rings.

🔗 Episode Links
The History of The Hobbit
The Annotated Hobbit
Join our Discord Community (for free)
Get the Extended Podcast
Become a Patreon Member

🎧 Subscribe to our Podcast
Get the Extended Podcast
Become a Patreon Member
Subscribe on Apple
Subscribe on Spotify

🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The History of The Hobbit
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook)
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book)
The Silmarillion

The Children of Hurin
The Atlas of Middle-earth
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat

Episoder(162)

105. Tolkien Changed The Hobbit Twice : The Hobbit #1

105. Tolkien Changed The Hobbit Twice : The Hobbit #1

Join our Free Discord Channel! This week we begin our read through of The Hobbit–but we’re focusing first on how Tolkien actually evolved the Hobbit from his first edition in 1937 to a revised edition...

25 Jun 202449min

104. The REAL War of the Rohirrim, According to Tolkien

104. The REAL War of the Rohirrim, According to Tolkien

Join our Free Discord Channel! You know that the film The War of the Rohirrim will be released later this year, right?  Well, here is Tolkien’s story of Helm Hammerhand, as HE told it.  Michael and Jo...

18 Jun 202450min

103. Tom Bombadil, The Hunt for Gollum, and Viggo Mortensen are Back… and so is Dan!

103. Tom Bombadil, The Hunt for Gollum, and Viggo Mortensen are Back… and so is Dan!

Join our Discord Channel! Join our Discord Community (for free)! 👉 https://discord.gg/fRATdAqEFr On what I just realized was our 2 year anniversary, we brought our original amigo, Dan Coats, back to ...

4 Jun 20240s

102. An Interview with Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Dominic Monaghan (Merry)  – 2003 Roundtable Interviews

102. An Interview with Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Dominic Monaghan (Merry) – 2003 Roundtable Interviews

Join our Discord Channel! Here’s one more episode in our series of interviews from the December 2, 2003 roundtable discussions (check them all out at https://www.theonering.com/interviews-with-the-cas...

29 Mai 202433min

101. Bree’s Dark Turn

101. Bree’s Dark Turn

Join our Discord Channel! The films brought us a dark and evil Bree — but Tolkien calls it “friendly” and “familiar”! And Barliman Butterbur has a simple cameo. And then nearly the entire “Strider” ch...

21 Mai 202446min

100. Should The Lord of the Rings Films have kept the Barrow-downs?

100. Should The Lord of the Rings Films have kept the Barrow-downs?

Join our Discord Channel! Dropping the Barrow-downs removes one of the most important callbacks in the final Battle of the Pelennor Fields before Minas Tirith. It also excises some of the wonderful de...

14 Mai 202452min

99. Tom Bombadil is NOT important? Tolkien said it!

99. Tom Bombadil is NOT important? Tolkien said it!

Join our Discord Channel! Tom Bombadil is a polarizing figure in Middle-earth. Some hate him, some love him. Peter Jackson decided to completely avoid that discussion and simply excise him from the fi...

7 Mai 202435min

98. Why Peter Jackson Cut the Old Forest and Old Man Willow

98. Why Peter Jackson Cut the Old Forest and Old Man Willow

Join our Discord Channel! The first REAL dangers outside of the Shire were cut from the films. So, how much did we REALLY lose by not having The Old Forest or Old Man Willow in Peter Jackson’s Lord of...

30 Apr 202441min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
forklart
popradet
aftenpodden-usa
stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
rss-gukild-johaug
det-store-bildet
fotballpodden-2
i-retten
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-ness
nokon-ma-ga
aftenbla-bla
hanna-de-heldige
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
bt-dokumentar-2
rss-dannet-uten-piano