{"title":"Joseph Loconte","description":"\u003cp\u003eJoseph Loconte's works delve into the rich intersections of faith, culture, and history, offering readers profound reflections on religion and spirituality. His thoughtful narratives explore how spiritual themes shape our understanding of significant historical events and enduring cultural myths.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect engaging explorations that challenge and inspire, with a style that combines scholarly insight with accessible storytelling. Loconte's writing invites contemplation on the deeper meanings behind both sacred texts and popular narratives.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-war-for-middle-earth-by-joseph-loconte-9781400251445","title":"The War for Middle-earth","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn the years leading up to the Second World War, authors J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis—who both fought in the trenches of WWI—saw the world descending once again into a human catastrophe. This book tells the story of how the crucible of war brought them together in friendship and inspired them to engage their Christian imagination to confront the darkest forces of their age.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this powerful follow-up to the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling \u003cem\u003eA Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War\u003c\/em\u003e, historian Joseph Loconte tells for the first time how the dark shadows cast by the Second World War utterly transformed the lives and literary imagination of Tolkien and Lewis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe mood of cynicism and disillusionment after the First World War unleashed a storm of destructive ideologies: eugenics, scientism, modernism, communism, Nazism, and totalitarianism. The political and cultural crises created a new sense of urgency. The future of Western civilization stood on the edge of a knife. Tolkien and Lewis jumped into the fray.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLoconte explores how these authors and friends rededicated themselves to their scholarly and literary pursuits to offer a brave and hopeful vision of the human story. Their most beloved works—\u003cem\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLeaf by Niggle\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Space Trilogy\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Screwtape Letters\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Chronicles of Narnia\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMere Christianity\u003c\/em\u003e—were conceived in the furnace of the most devastating and dehumanizing war in history. In a world burdened by ugliness and despair, the works of Tolkien and Lewis opened the door to beauty, goodness, and faith. They continue to inspire the moral imagination.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders who join Loconte on this epic journey will be:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003einspired by Tolkien's and Lewis's Christian imagination, which even today has the power to transform human hearts in a world desperate for hope and truth;\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eencouraged by their example of Christian resistance to evil as we, too, face a cultural crisis: fresh assaults on the political, moral, and religious ideals that shaped our civilization; and\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003efilled with renewed hope that even in a time of great divisions, conflicts, and hatreds, a Christian vision of truth and beauty can light the path out of the deepest darkness.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCombining a careful study of history and compelling storytelling, Loconte's book reveals how the remarkable achievements of Tolkien and Lewis—in the shadow of deep suffering and heroic sacrifice—offer enduring lessons for today's cultural moment. Loconte's book is essential reading for anyone who believes that great stories can reveal great truths. He reminds us that the imagination, anchored in a mature and heartfelt faith, can become the gateway to gratitude and to a life of purpose and joy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46735130558700,"sku":"9781400251445","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14882513482686.jpg?v=1755232147"},{"product_id":"the-war-for-middle-earth-by-joseph-loconte-9781400247936","title":"The War for Middle-earth","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFor fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, discover the story behind their unique friendship forged in the darkness of World War II and how it inspired the stories of \u003cem\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Chronicles of Narnia\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eMere Christianity\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn a world devastated by the cataclysm of war, two extraordinary authors and friends, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, delivered a bracing vision of the human story: a path back to goodness, beauty, and faith. How did they do it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first time, historian Joseph Loconte explains how the catastrophe of World War II transformed the lives and literary imagination of Tolkien and Lewis. The mechanised slaughter of the First World War had created a storm of disillusionment with the political and religious ideals of Western civilisation. The new ideologies of Modernism, communism, Nazism, and totalitarianism rushed to fill the vacuum. At stake was a contest between civilisation and barbarism. Tolkien and Lewis sought each other out in friendship and threw themselves into the struggle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe War for Middle-earth\u003c\/em\u003e explores how their most beloved works—\u003cem\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Chronicles of Narnia\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMere Christianity\u003c\/em\u003e—were conceived in the shadow of the most devastating and dehumanising war in history. Like no other authors of their age, Tolkien and Lewis used their imagination to reclaim for their generation—and for ours—those deeds of valour and virtue and love that have always kept a lamp burning, even in the deepest darkness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe War for Middle-earth\u003c\/em\u003e you will:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eBe inspired by Tolkien's and Lewis's Christian imagination, which even today has the power to transform hearts desperate for hope and truth\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eFind encouragement and strength to resist evil in our own day\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003eDiscover how a biblical view of truth and beauty can light the path out of the deepest darkness\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCombining a careful study of history and compelling storytelling, \u003cem\u003eThe War for Middle-earth\u003c\/em\u003e reveals the remarkable achievement of these authors and friends: a recovery of heroism and faith despite deep sorrow and suffering. Here are enduring lessons for today's cultural moment and essential reading if you want to discover how great stories can reveal great truths.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47665608130796,"sku":"9781400247936","price":70.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781400247936-the-war-for-middle-earth.jpg?v=1779756361"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/joseph-loconte.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}