J. R. R. Tolkien

Tolkienin pääteos tarkistettuna suomennoksena. Taru Sormusten herrasta ilmestyy upeana, J. R. R. Tolkienin itse kuvittamana laitoksena, jonka suomentaja Kersti Juva on tarkistanut kauttaaltaan. Tolkienin fantasiaeepoksen ensimmäinen osa ilmestyi suomeksi 1973. Suomennoksesta vastasi 25-vuotias Kersti Juva, osittain Eila Pennasen valvonnassa. Suomenkielisen laitoksen 50-vuotisjuhlan kunniaksi Juva on käynyt läpi koko yli 1000-sivuisen Tarun ja korjannut käännöksen entistä ehommaksi. ”50 vuoden kokemuksella olen tuhansilla isommilla ja pienemmillä muutoksilla huomattavasti täsmentänyt ja kirkastanut tulkintaa”, sanoo moninkertaisesti palkittu Juva. Uuden laitoksen kuvituksena on 30 Tolkienin omaa piirrosta ja maalausta, mm. hämmästyttävät näköissivut Mazarbulin kirjasta. J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973) on fantasiakirjallisuuden oppi-isä, jonka pääteos Taru Sormusten herrasta kuuluu maailman luetuimpiin kirjoihin. Kersti Juva (s. 1948) tunnetaan yhtenä Suomen arvostetuimmista kaunokirjallisuuden kääntäjistä.

Komea juhlalaitos Tolkienin rakastetusta klassikosta. J. R. R. Tolkienin lumoava saturomaani Hobitti runsaasti kuvitettuna loistopainoksena, Kersti Juvan palkitun suomennoksen 40-vuotisjuhlan kunniaksi. Bilbo Reppulin mahtava seikkailuretki ”sinne ja takaisin” 13 kääpiön matkassa vaatimaan takaisin lohikäärme Smaugin anastamaa valtavaa aarretta on valloittanut kaikenikäiset lukijat jo monessa polvessa. Nyt Hobitti, joka kertoo Tolkienin suurteosta Taru Sormusten herrasta edeltävistä tapahtumista, julkaistaan loisteliaana uutena laitoksena. Kirjaa kuvittaa 50 Tolkienin omaa piirrosta ja maalausta. Mukana on myös Christopher Tolkienin esipuhe sekä Wayne Hammondin ja Christina Scullin esittely Tolkienin Hobitti-kuvituksista. J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973) on maailman suosituin fantasiakirjailija, jonka pääteoksia ovat Hobitti, Taru Sormusten herrasta ja Silmarillion. Kersti Juva (s. 1948) sai kääntäjien valtionpalkinnon vuonna 1985 ilmestyneestä Hobitti-suomennoksestaan.

Experience Middle-earth like never before in this special edition of the forerunner to The Lord of the Rings, illustrated throughout in color by J. R. R. Tolkien himself. The Silmarillion is a doorway to the history, mythology, key characters, and defining tales of the early ages of Middle-earth--an essential volume for any Tolkien reader eager for a deeper journey. The Silmarilli were three perfect jewels, fashioned by F anor, most gifted of the Elves, and within them was imprisoned the last Light of the Two Trees of Valinor. But the first Dark Lord, Morgoth, stole the jewels and set them within his iron crown, guarded in the impenetrable fortress of Angband in the north of Middle-earth. The Silmarillion is the history of the rebellion of F anor and his kindred against the gods, their exile from Valinor and return to Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all the heroism, against the great Enemy. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took part. The book also includes several shorter works: the Ainulindal , a myth of the Creation, and the Valaquenta, in which the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallab th recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of N menor at the end of the Second Age, and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age, as narrated in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien could not publish The Silmarillion in his lifetime, as it grew with him, so he would leave it to his son, Christopher Tolkien, to edit the work from many manuscripts and bring his father's great vision to publishable form, so completing the literary achievement of a lifetime. This special edition presents anew this seminal first step towards mapping out the posthumous publishing of Middle-earth, and the beginning of an illustrious forty years and more than twenty books celebrating his father's legacy. This definitive new edition includes, by way of an introduction, a letter written by Tolkien in 1951 which provides a brilliant exposition of the earlier Ages, and for the first time in its history is presented with Tolkien's own paintings and drawings, which reveal the breathtaking grandeur and beauty of his vision of the First Age of Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien's three-volume epic, is set in the imaginary world of Middle-earth -- home to many strange beings, and most notably hobbits, a peace-loving "little people," cheerful and shy. Since its original British publication in 1954-55, the saga has entranced readers of all ages. It is at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale. Critic Michael Straight has hailed it as one of the "very few works of genius in recent literature." Middle-earth is a world receptive to poets, scholars, children, and all other people of good will. Donald Barr has described it as "a scrubbed morning world, and a ringing nightmare world...especially sunlit, and shadowed by perils very fundamental, of a peculiarly uncompounded darkness." The story of this world is one of high and heroic adventure. Barr compared it to Beowulf, C. S. Lewis to Orlando Furioso, W. H. Auden to The Thirty-nine Steps. In fact the saga is sui generis -- a triumph of imagination which springs to life within its own framework and on its own terms.

The comprehensive collection of letters spanning the adult life of one of the world’s greatest storytellers, now revised and expanded to include more than 150 previously unseen letters, with revealing new insights into The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. J. R. R. Tolkien, creator of the languages and history of Middle-earth as recorded in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, was one of the most prolific letter-writers of this century. Over the years he wrote a mass of letters – to his publishers, to members of his family, to friends, and to 'fans' of his books – which often reveal the inner workings of his mind, and which record the history of composition of his works and his reaction to subsequent events. A selection from Tolkien's correspondence, collected and edited by Tolkien's official biographer, Humphrey Carpenter, and assisted by Christopher Tolkien, was published in 1981. It presented, in Tolkien's own words, a highly detailed portrait of the man in his many aspects: storyteller, scholar, Catholic, parent, friend, and observer of the world around him. In this revised and expanded edition of The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, it has been possible to go back to the editors’ original typescripts and notes, restoring more than 150 letters that were excised purely to achieve what was then deemed a ‘publishable length’, and present the book as originally intended. Enthusiasts for his writings will find much that is new, for the letters not only include fresh information about Middle-earth, such as Tolkien’s own plot summary of the entirety of The Lord of the Rings and a vision for publishing his ‘Tales of the Three Ages’, but also many insights into the man and his world. In addition, this new selection will entertain anyone who appreciates the art of letter-writing, of which J. R. R. Tolkien was a master.

Award-winning world first publication of the collected poems of J. R. R. Tolkien, spanning almost seven decades of the author’s life and presented in an elegant three-volume hardback boxed set. J. R. R. Tolkien aspired to be a poet in the first instance, and poetry was part of his creative life no less than his prose, his languages, and his art. Although Tolkien’s readers are aware that he wrote poetry, if only from verses in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, its extent is not well known, and its qualities are underappreciated. Within his larger works of fiction, poems help to establish character and place as well as further the story; as individual works, they delight with words and rhyme. They express his love of nature and the seasons, of landscape and music, and of words. They convey his humour and his sense of wonder. The earliest work in this collection, written for his beloved, is dated to 1910, when Tolkien was eighteen. More poems would follow during his years at Oxford, some of them very elaborate and eccentric. Those he composed during the First World War, in which he served in France, tend to be concerned not with trenches and battle, but with life, loss, faith, and friendship, his longing for England, and the wife he left behind. Beginning in 1914, elements of his legendarium, ‘The Silmarillion’, began to appear, and the ‘Matter of Middle-earth’ would inspire much of Tolkien’s verse for the rest of his life. Within The Collected Poems of J. R. R. Tolkien almost 250 works are presented across three volumes, including more than 70 that have never before been seen. The poems are deftly woven together with commentary and notes by world-renowned Tolkien scholars Christina Scull & Wayne G. Hammond, placing them in the context of Tolkien’s life and literary accomplishments and creating a poetical biography that is a unique and revealing celebration of J. R. R. Tolkien.

The comprehensive collection of letters spanning the adult life of one of the world’s greatest storytellers, now revised and expanded to include more than 150 previously unseen letters, with revealing new insights into The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. J. R. R. Tolkien, creator of the languages and history of Middle-earth as recorded in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, was one of the most prolific letter-writers of this century. Over the years he wrote a mass of letters – to his publishers, to members of his family, to friends, and to 'fans' of his books – which often reveal the inner workings of his mind, and which record the history of composition of his works and his reaction to subsequent events. A selection from Tolkien's correspondence, collected and edited by Tolkien's official biographer, Humphrey Carpenter, and assisted by Christopher Tolkien, was published in 1981. It presented, in Tolkien's own words, a highly detailed portrait of the man in his many aspects: storyteller, scholar, Catholic, parent, friend, and observer of the world around him. In this revised and expanded edition of The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, it has been possible to go back to the editors’ original typescripts and notes, restoring more than 150 letters that were excised purely to achieve what was then deemed a ‘publishable length’, and present the book as originally intended. Enthusiasts for his writings will find much that is new, for the letters not only include fresh information about Middle-earth, such as Tolkien’s own plot summary of the entirety of The Lord of the Rings and a vision for publishing his ‘Tales of the Three Ages’, but also many insights into the man and his world. In addition, this new selection will entertain anyone who appreciates the art of letter-writing, of which J. R. R. Tolkien was a master.

J. R. R. Tolkien's complete artwork for his magisterial novel, published on the sixtieth anniversary of The Lord of the Rings As he wrote The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien's mental pictures often found expression in drawing, from rough sketches made within the manuscript to more finished illustrations. Only a few of these were meant for publication; most were aids to help Tolkien conceive his complex story and keep it consistent. Many do not illustrate the final text, but represent moments of creation, illuminating Tolkien's process of writing and design. In addition to pictorial sketches, numerous maps follow the development of the Shire and the larger landscape of Middle-earth, while inscriptions in runes and Elvish script, and "facsimile" leaves from the burned and blood-stained Book of Mazarbul, support Tolkien's pose as an "editor" or "translator" of ancient records. The Art of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien collects these drawings, inscriptions, maps, and plans in one deluxe volume. More than 180 images are included, all of them printed in color from high-quality scans and photographs, more than half not previously published. Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull, two of the world's leading Tolkien scholars, have edited the book and provide an expert introduction and comments.

First ever deluxe slipcased edition of the comprehensive collection of letters spanning the adult life of one of the world’s greatest storytellers, now revised and expanded to include more than 150 previously unseen letters, with revealing new insights into The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, a featuring a special frontispiece. J. R. R. Tolkien, creator of the languages and history of Middle-earth as recorded in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, was one of the most prolific letter-writers of this century. Over the years he wrote a mass of letters – to his publishers, to members of his family, to friends, and to 'fans' of his books – which often reveal the inner workings of his mind, and which record the history of composition of his works and his reaction to subsequent events. A selection from Tolkien's correspondence, collected and edited by Tolkien's official biographer, Humphrey Carpenter, and assisted by Christopher Tolkien, was published in 1981. It presented, in Tolkien's own words, a highly detailed portrait of the man in his many aspects: storyteller, scholar, Catholic, parent, friend, and observer of the world around him. In this revised and expanded edition of The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, it has been possible to go back to the editors’ original typescripts and notes, restoring more than 150 letters that were excised purely to achieve what was then deemed a ‘publishable length’, and present the book as originally intended. Enthusiasts for his writings will find much that is new, for the letters not only include fresh information about Middle-earth, such as Tolkien’s own plot summary of the entirety of The Lord of the Rings and a vision for publishing his ‘Tales of the Three Ages’, but also many insights into the man and his world. In addition, this new selection will entertain anyone who appreciates the art of letter-writing, of which J. R. R. Tolkien was a master.

Sormusten herran maailman historia Tolkienin kuvittamana. J. R. R. Tolkienin mytologiaeepos Silmarillion ensimmäistä kertaa Tolkienin itse värikuvittamana erikoislaitoksena. Häikäisevän upea lisä jokaisen Tolkienin ystävän kirjahyllyyn! Silmarillion on suuri tarukokoelma, jossa kerrotaan, kuinka Taru Sormusten herrasta -teoksesta tuttu haltioiden, hobittien ja örkkien maailma syntyi myyttisten ainur-henkien soitosta ja mitä kaikkea tapahtui pitkinä vuosituhansina ennen Bilbon ja Frodon aikaa. Silmarillion oli Tolkienin elinikäinen hanke, jonka hänen poikansa Christopher toimitti julkaisukuntoon kirjailijan kuoleman jälkeen. Christopher Tolkienin syntymän 100-vuotisjuhlan kunniaksi julkaistavan laitoksen kuvituksena on lähes 60 Tolkienin omaa piirustusta ja maalausta, jotka henkivät hänen runollisen kaunista näkemystään Keski-Maan tarumaailmasta. Oxfordin yliopistossa Englannin kirjallisuutta ja muinaisenglantia opettanutta J. R. R. Tolkienia (1892-1973) pidetään nykyaikaisen fantasiakirjallisuuden keskeisenä kehittäjänä. Hänen kolmas poikansa Christopher Tolkien (1924-2020) oli myös keskiajan tutkija, mutta omistautui isänsä kuoleman jälkeen koostamaan tämän julkaisematonta tuotantoa kirjoiksi.

J. R. R. Tolkien once wrote: "I wisely started with a map, and made the story fit." The Maps of Middle-earth presents four of Tolkien's iconic maps, reimagined and newly updated for this edition by acclaimed Tolkien artist, John Howe, and richly decorated with scenes from the books: Middle-earth, a breath-taking panorama of all the locations from Hobbiton to Mordor that feature in The Lord of the Rings;Wilderland, a charming evocation of the realm to which Bilbo journeyed 'there and back again' in The Hobbit;Beleriand, a lyrical portrayal of the ancient landscape of the First Age, where the great tales of The Silmarillion took place;N menor, an exclusive reproduction of the legendary island described in Unfinished Tales, which was sunk beneath the waves in the Second Age of Middle-earth. The maps are accompanied by an authoritative text written by Brian Sibley, which tells the stories behind The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, and gives accounts of how the original maps came into being. Filled with illustrations by John Howe, many of which appear here for the first time, the book also features gazetteers of all the names on each of the four maps. They provide revealing insights into the significant role each place-name played in the stories, including those of N menor, the island-kingdom once inhabited by Elendil and his sons, Isildur and An rion, ancestors of Aragorn, that was sunk in a cataclysmic storm following the treacherous deeds of Sauron, as told in Of the Rings of Power in The Silmarillion.

Venture "there and back again" with this special enhanced edition of the enchanting prelude to The Lord of the Rings, illustrated throughout with over 50 sketches, drawings, paintings and maps by J. R. R. Tolkien himself, and the complete text printed in two colors. Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey 'there and back again.' They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon . . . Written for J. R. R. Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit was published on 21 September 1937. With a beautiful cover design, a handful of black & white drawings and two maps by the author himself, the book became an instant success and was reprinted shortly afterwards with five color plates. Tolkien's own selection of finished paintings and drawings have become inseparable from his text, adorning editions of The Hobbit for more than 85 years. But the published art has afforded only a glimpse of Tolkien's creative process, and many additional sketches, colored drawings and maps - although exhibited and published elsewhere - have never appeared within the pages of The Hobbit. In this unique enhanced edition of Tolkien's enchanting classic tale, the full panoply of his art is reproduced for the first time, presenting more than 50 illustrations to accompany Bilbo Baggins on his adventure 'there and back again.'

I urval av Humphrey Carpenter, med bistånd av Christopher Tolkien. Här presenteras ett stort urval brev från 1914 till 1973 av J. R. R. Tolkien. Den världsberömde författaren var en hängiven brevskrivare och korresponderade med sina förläggare, familjemedlemmar, vänner (till exempel C. S. Lewis, W. H. Auden och Naomi Mitchison) och inte minst med sina många läsare. Breven bildar ett fascinerande och detaljrikt porträtt av en mångfacetterad man historieberättaren, vetenskapsmannen, katoliken, föräldern och observatören av världsskeendena. De kastar också mycket ljus på hans kreativa geni och den värld som han skapade Midgård. Brevsamlingen kommer att tilltala inte bara legionerna av Tolkienanhängare, utan var och en som uppskattar den klassiska brevskrivarkonsten som Tolkien behärskade till fulländning.

Hobittien isän kootut kirjeet. Kattava kokoelma kirjeitä maailman rakastetuimpiin kuuluvalta tarinankertojalta tarjoaa harvinaisen näkymän J. R. R. Tolkienin ajatusmaailmaan. Laajennettu laitos sisältää yli 150 ennen julkaisematonta kirjettä. J. R. R. Tolkien oli 1900-luvun armoitetuimpia kirjeenkirjoittajia. Pitkissä, usein esseemäisissä kirjeissä hän selostaa Tarun Sormusten herrasta ja muiden kirjojensa taustoja, vastaa fanien kysymyksiin ja kertoo mielipiteitään maailman tapahtumista. Noin 500 kirjeen joukossa on myös paljon Tolkienin hyväsydämisiä viestejä perheenjäsenille ja ystäville sekä tiukkoja ohjeita kustantajalle ja kirjapainolle.” Mahtava kirja - - kirjeet hehkuvat lämpöä, mielenkiintoa ja intoa.” Private Eye. Oxfordin yliopiston professori, filologi J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973) tunnetaan nykyaikaisen fantasiakirjallisuuden isänä, jonka pääteoksia ovat Hobitti, Taru Sormusten herrasta ja Silmarillion. Humphrey Carpenter (1946-2005) oli brittiläinen elämäkerturi ja radiotoimittaja, joka on kirjoittanut teoksen J. R. R. Tolkien: Elämäkerta. Tolkienin kolmas poika Christopher Tolkien (1924-2020) oli keskiajan tutkija ja omistautui isänsä kuoleman jälkeen koostamaan tämän julkaisematonta tuotantoa kirjoiksi.

A very special edition of J. R. R. Tolkien's classic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, gorgeously illustrated throughout in color by the author himself with the complete text printed in two colors, plus sprayed edges and a ribbon bookmark. Since it was first published in 1954, The Lord of the Rings has been a book people have treasured. Steeped in unrivaled magic and otherworldliness, Tolkien's sweeping fantasy and epic adventure has touched the hearts of young and old alike. More than 150 million copies of its many editions have been sold around the world, and occasional collectors' editions become prized and valuable items of publishing. This one-volume, jacketed hardcover edition contains the complete text, fully corrected and reset, which is printed in red and black and features, for the very first time, thirty color illustrations, maps and sketches drawn by Tolkien himself as he composed this epic work. These include the pages from the Book of Mazarbul, marvelous facsimiles created by Tolkien to accompany the famous 'Bridge of Khazad-dum' chapter. Also appearing are two removable fold-out maps drawn by Christopher Tolkien revealing all the detail of Middle-earth. Sympathetically packaged to reflect the classic look of the first edition, this new edition of the bestselling hardback will prove irresistible to collectors and new fans alike.

Tarun Sormusten herrasta esiosa Muumien luojan kuvittamana! J. R. R. Tolkienin klassinen saturomaani kertoo hobitti Bilbo Reppulin ja 13 kääpiön matkasta vaatimaan takaisin lohikäärme Smaugin varastamaa aarretta. Tove Janssonin kuvittama komea laitos on julkaistu Tolkienin syntymän 125-vuotisjuhlan ja Hobitin ilmestymisen 80-vuotisjuhlan kunniaksi.21.9.1937 julkaistiin Englannissa ensipainos Tolkienin fantasiaromaanista Hobitti. 23 vuotta myöhemmin Rabén & Sjögrenin kustannustoimittaja Astrid Lindgren pyysi Muumi-kirjoillaan jo mainetta niittänyttä Tove Janssonia kuvittamaan Hobitin, josta oli tekeillä uusi ruotsinnos. Hobitin 80-vuotislaitos sisältää Janssonin satumaiset kuvat alkuperäispiirroksista suoraan kuvattuina ja aiemmin vain Hobitin ensimmäisessä suomennoksessa Lohikäärmevuori käytetyn kannen. Brian Sibley kertoo jälkisanoissaan koko huikean tarinan siitä, kuinka Hobitin kuvitus toi yhteen kolme kirjallista jättiläistä – J. R. R. Tolkienin, Astrid Lindgrenin ja Tove Janssonin. J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973) tunnetaan nykyaikaisen fantasiakirjallisuuden isänä, jonka pääteoksia ovat Hobitti ja Taru Sormusten herrasta. Muumi-kirjoistaan kuulu Tove Jansson (1914–2001) kuvitti Tolkienin Hobitin lisäksi mm. Lewis Carrollin Liisan seikkailut ihmemaassa. Brittikirjailija Brian Sibley (s. 1949) on dramatisoinut radiokuunnelman Tolkienin Tarusta Sormusten herrasta ja oli 20 vuoden ajan kirjeenvaihdossa Tove Janssonin kanssa.

Komea kirja Tolkienin omista kuvituksista. Christopher Tolkienin valitsema kokoelma esittelee J. R. R. Tolkienin upeimmat piirrokset ja maalaukset Tarun Sormusten herrasta maailman maisemista. J. R. R. Tolkienin maalauksia ja piirroksia osoittaa, että Keski-Maan luoja oli paitsi taitava kirjailija myös lahjakas kuvittaja. Sen kuvat näyttävät, millaisina Hobitin, Tarun Sormusten herrasta ja Silmarillionin tekijä näki itse ne paikat ja tapahtumat, joista kirjoissa kerrotaan – Hobittilan maalaismiljööstä Kultaiseen metsään ja Mustasta tornista Taniquetilin huipulle. Suurikokoiseen kirjaan sisältyvät Silmarillionin toimittajana tunnetun Christopher Tolkienin esittelytekstit kaikista 48 kuvasta. Oxfordin yliopistossa Englannin kirjallisuutta ja muinaisenglantia opettanutta J. R. R. Tolkienia (1892–1973) pidetään nykyaikaisen fantasiakirjallisuuden keskeisenä kehittäjänä. Hänen kolmas poikansa Christopher Tolkien (1924–2020) oli myös keskiajan tutkija, mutta omistautui isänsä kuoleman jälkeen toimittamaan tämän julkaisematonta tuotantoa kirjoiksi.

The comprehensive collection of letters spanning the adult life of one of the world's greatest storytellers, now revised and expanded to include more than 150 previously unseen letters, with revealing new insights into The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. J. R. R. Tolkien, creator of the languages and history of Middle-earth as recorded in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, was one of the most prolific letter-writers of the last century. Over the years he wrote a mass of letters--to his publishers, to members of his family, to friends, and to "fans" of his books--which often reveal the inner workings of his mind, and which record the history of composition of his works and his reaction to subsequent events. A selection from Tolkien's correspondence, collected and edited by Tolkien's official biographer, Humphrey Carpenter, and assisted by Christopher Tolkien, was published in 1981. It presented, in Tolkien's own words, a highly detailed portrait of the man in his many aspects: storyteller, scholar, Catholic, parent, friend, and observer of the world around him. In this revised and expanded edition of The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, it has been possible to go back to the editors' original typescripts and notes, restoring more than 150 letters that were excised purely to achieve what was then deemed a "publishable length," and present the book as originally intended. Enthusiasts for his writings will find much that is new, for the letters not only include fresh information about Middle-earth, such as Tolkien's own plot summary of the entirety of The Lord of the Rings and a vision for publishing his "Tales of the Three Ages," but also many insights into the man and his world. In addition, this new selection will entertain anyone who appreciates the art of letter-writing, of which J. R. R. Tolkien was a master.

For generations, J. R. R. Tolkien's words have brought to thrilling life a world of hobbits, magic, and historic myth, woken from its foggy slumber within our minds. Here, he tells the tales is his own voice. Of historic note, these selections from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are based on a tape recording Tolkien made in 1952, which inspired him to continue his own quest to see his vision in print. Also included is a never-published poem, "The Mirror of Galadriel," originally intended for inclusion in the trilogy, yet edited out. And, finally, Tolkien's son, Christopher, reads selections from his father's The Silmarillion, the epic foundation upon which rests the whole of his work.

With Christopher Tolkien as your guide, take a tour through this colourful gallery of enchanting art by J. R. R. Tolkien, as published originally in the first groundbreaking Tolkien Calendars of the 1970s. This collection of pictures, with text by Christopher Tolkien, now reissued after almost 30 years, confirms J. R. R. Tolkien’s considerable talent as an artist. It provides fascinating insight into his visual conception of many of the places and events familiar to readers of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. Examples of his art range from delicate watercolours depicting Rivendell, the Forest of Lothlorien, Smaug and Old Man Willow, to drawings and sketches of Moria Gate and Minas Tirith. Together they form a comprehensive collection of Tolkien’s own illustrations for his most popular books. Also included are many of his beautiful designs showing patterns of flowers and trees, friezes, tapestries and heraldic devices associated with the world of Middle-earth. In their variety and scope they provide abundant visual evidence of the richness of his imagination. This enchanting gallery was personally selected by Christopher Tolkien who, through detailed notes on the sources for each picture, provides unique insight into the artistic vision of his father, J. R. R. Tolkien.