British MEP Dan Hannan has blogged on The Telegraph: “Supposing him to be the gardener: Sam Gamgee, the Battle of the Somme and my Great Uncle Bill”.

In the blogpost, Dan Hannan says:

Peter Jackson, the producer, was making overt what Tolkien had gently left as subtext. Sam, who is about to become the true hero of the story, has been dragged from a world of growth and fecundity into a blasted wasteland. Having previously tended to living things, he has been turned into the unlikeliest of soldiers.

The full article is available to read on the The Telegraph website.

About the Author: Shaun Gunner

Shaun is the CEO of The Tolkien Society, having previously served as the Chair from 2013 to 2025. Shaun has overseen the Society's expansion from 600 to over 4,000 members. Shaun regularly speaks about adaptations of Tolkien's works and the future of Tolkien scholarship whilst passionately believing the Society needs to reach out to new audiences. In his spare time he can be found playing video games and Lego, or on X (formerly known as Twitter). He chaired another charity, Mankind, and is a local councillor.