It's interesting how Tolkien blended realism and fantasy in his battle scenes. Like so many who have been to war he captured the panic and self-preservation felt by the combatants along with the grisly misery. As a writer of an epic work his characters performed like heroes and evil was defeated, yet Tolkien's characters demonstrated more battlefield realism in their attitudes than most of those selfless larger-than-life epic heroes.
The best battlefield description I've read recently was in "Flags of Our Fathers" an account of Iwo Jima. Nothing is more chlling than real life...that's why I read alot of fantasy.
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Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
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