The Hobbit (1937)
'Written for J.R.R. Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when first published more than sixty years ago. Now recognized as a timeless classic with sales of more than 40 million copies worldwide, this introduction to Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Wizard, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth tells of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.' (Product information from Amazon.com) (Book cover by John Howe) Buy it! US or UK.  The Lord of the Rings (1955)
'In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth still it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell, by chance, into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. From his fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, Sauron's power spread far and wide. He gathered all the Great Rings to him, but ever he searched for the One Ring that would complete his domination. On his eleventy-first birthday, Bilbo dissapeared, bequeathing to his young cousin, Frodo, the Ruling Ring, and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard, Merry, Pippin and Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Boromir of Gondor, and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider. (Product information from book flap) (Book cover by John Howe) Buy it! US or UK.  The Silmarillion (1977)
'The Silmarilli were three perfect jewels, fashioned by Fëanor, most gifted of the Elves. When the first Dark Lord, Morgoth, stole the jewels for his own ends, Fëanor and his kindred took up arms and waged a long and terrible war to recover them. This is the story of their rebellion against the gods and the history of the heroic First Age of Middle-earth. (Product information from back of book) (Book cover by Ted Nasmith) Buy it! US or UK.  The Unfinished Tales (1980)
'This collection ranges from the time of The Silmarillion to the end of the War of the Ring in The Lord of the Rings. Its many treasures include Gandalf's lively account of how he came to send the Dwarves to the celebrated party at Bag-End, the emergence of the sea-god Ulmo before Tuor, the only story of Númenor before its fall, and all that is known of the Five Wizards. The collection has been edited by Christopher Tolkien, who provides a commentary placing each of the Tales in the context of his father's work.' (Product information from back of book) (Book cover by John Howe) Buy it! US or UK. Some book covers by John Howe |
The Histories of Middle Earth
The Book of Lost Tales, Part One (HoME I) The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two (HoME II) The Lays of Beleriand (HoME III) The Shaping of Middle-earth (HOME IV) The Lost Road and Other Writings (HoME V) The Return of the Shadow (HoME VI) The Treason of Isengard (HoME VII) The War of the Ring (HoME VIII) Sauron Defeated (HoME IX) Morgoth's Ring (HoME X) The War of the Jewels (HoME XI) The Peoples of Middle-Earth (HoME XII) 
The Children of Húrin (2007)
'Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwells in the vast fortress of Angband in the North; and within the shadow of the fear of Angband, and the war waged by Morgoth against the Elves, the fates of Túrin and his sister Niënor will be tragically entwined. Their brief and passionate lives are dominated by the elemental hatred that Morgoth bears them as the children of Húrin, the man who dared to defy him to his face. Against them Morgoth sends his most formidable servant, Glaurung, a powerful spirit in the form of a huge wingless dragon of fire, in an attempt to fulfil the course of Morgoth and destroy the children of Húrin. (Product information from back of book) (Book cover by Alan Lee) Buy it! US or UK. 
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1962)'The Adventures of Tom Bombadil is a collection of poetry written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in 1962. The book contains 16 poems, only two of which deal with Tom Bombadil, a character who is most famous for his encounter with Frodo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Ring (the first volume in Tolkien's best-selling Lord of the Rings). The rest of the poems are an assortment of bestiary verse and fairy tale rhyme. Two of the poems appear in The Lord of the Rings as well.' (Product information from Wikipedia.com) (Book cover by Roger Garland) This book is currently out of print. Back to Dorthonion |
Last updated 21-7-09.