The Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite novels, and it's so good it's no wonder it's sold over 150 million copies.
Do you think it represents the best of Tolkien's work?
Yes I think so personally, considering he worked on it from 1937 to 1949 I believe it is his work that he put the most effort into.
He was an interesting figure, also a Professor of Old English at Oxford I believe.
Yes you are indeed correct about that, from 1945 to 1959 he was a Professor English Language and Literature at Merton College.
I must confess I haven't read much of his. I remember reading the Hobbit as a child but I found it very difficult
It can be difficult, but you should give it another shot now that you're older. It was nominated for a Carnegie Medal after all.