1978 The Lord of the Rings (Norman Barrs)

Release Date: 1978
Reader: Norman Barrs
Language: English
Organization: Talking Book Publishers, recording agency. APH, distributor
Publisher: DBPH, [Washington, D.C.], 1978
ISBN: n/a
Duration: ?
Unabridged: Yes
Country: English
Licenced: Yes
Formats: Cassette x 11, C-90, analog, 15/16 ips, 4 track mono
NLS Book Numbers: RC10975, RC10976, RC10977

Produced for the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled service of the Library of Congress. This is a complete reading of the book made purely for eligible members of this special library service in the USA and not available for commercial release.

Norman Barrs was born on 6 November 1917 in London, England, UK. An actor who spent much of his later career in the United States. He was a veteran of the New York stage and a prolific voice artist. He appeared in numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway productions from the 1960s through the 1980s. Notable credits include the 1965 production of The Pickwick Papers and various Shakespearean roles.

Barrs recorded the first-ever unabridged audio version of Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth. Unlike the cinematic or theatrical approaches of modern narrators, Barrs was known for a very precise, clear, and “proper” British delivery. This made him a favorite for educational and archival recordings.

He died on 14 December 1991 in New York City, New York, USA.