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Rearview Mirror Chronicles
Keith Hockton, FRAS, is a publisher, podcaster, writer and author based in Penang, Malaysia. He is South East Asian Editor for International Living, a lifestyle based magazine. He lectures internationally on history and Malaysia (political and economic), and is passionate about making history fun and accessible to all. Keith is a Fellow of The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
His published books include:
• Atlas of Australian Dive Sites - Travellers Edition (Harper Collins Australia, 2003).
• Penang - An inside guide to its historic homes, buildings, monuments and parks (MPH Publishing, 2012; 2nd Edition 2014; 3rd Edition 2017).
• Festivals of Malaysia (Trafalgar Publishing, 2015).
• The Habitat Penang Hill: A pocket history (Entrepot Publishing, 2018)
• Alana and the Secret Life of Trees at Night (Entrepot Publishing, 2018)
• Penang Then & Now: A Century of Change in Pictures (Entrepot Publishing, 2019; 2nd Edition 2021)
• Bersama Lima - Five Together (Entrepot Publishing, 2022)
Rearview Mirror Chronicles
J.R.R Tolkien - Part Two - The Lord of the Rings
Welcome back to Rearview Mirror Chronicles! Last time, we explored J.R.R. Tolkien’s early life and the war that shaped him. Now, we turn to The Lord of the Rings—a story born from his experiences of battle, loss, and faith.
The trenches of World War I echo in the battlefields of Middle-earth, while his Catholic beliefs infuse the story with themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the corrupting power of the One Ring. Yet, despite its deep roots in tradition, Tolkien’s epic found an unlikely following in the 1960s counterculture movement, embraced by hippies as an anti-establishment, nature-loving manifesto.
But The Lord of the Rings isn’t just a product of its time—it’s still profoundly relevant today. In a world grappling with power, war, and moral choices, it reminds us that even the smallest acts of courage can change everything.
Let’s return to Middle-earth and uncover the deeper meanings behind Tolkien’s masterpiece.