As a specialist in Germanic studies, Armand Berger has a unique passion for Tolkien's work, and in , he demonstrates the European heritage that inspired Tolkien by explicating the finer details of Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian myth, the Finnish Kalevala, Greco-Roman influence, and much more. Berger provides many citations from Tolkien himself, relying on Tolkien's letters, , interviews, and other sources. Berger expertly demonstrates that these traditions shape the underlying identity of Middle-earth. In this sense, Tolkien's writings form a civilisational work that belongs to the identity of the West. Berger's little book is a call to Europeans to do more than simply enjoy the fantastically imaginative story of Middle-earth. They should also appreciate it as inspiration to identify and claim what is their own.