Includes Beren and Luthien, Turin and the Dragon, and full narratives of the Necklace of the Dwarves and the Fall of Gondolin. Also includes commentary and poems associated with each tale.

"Enter Bilbo Baggin's world through exclusive interviews with director Peter Jackson, Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and all the principal cast and filmmakers, who share film-making secrets and tales of what it was actually like making movie magic in Middle-earth. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos of the actors, locations, sets, creatures and costumes, this essential guide has been produced in collaboration with the filmmakers...

Explores the formative years of the renowned author's life as he finds friendship, courage, and inspiration among a fellow group of writers and artists at school. Their brotherhood strengthens as they grow up and weather love and loss together, including the author's tumultuous courtship of his beloved Edith Bratt, until the outbreak of the First World War which threatens to tear their fellowship apart. All of these experiences would later inspire...

Best known for his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien was born in British-occupied South Africa. His early life was full of action and adventure. Tolkien spent his childhood roaming the British countryside with his family and could read and write by age four. He was naturally gifted with languages and used this skill as a signals officers in World War II as well as in his fantasy writing. By creating alternate universes...

A celebration of Peter Jackson's creative vision, packed with concept artwork and development paintings from his film The hobbit: an unexpected journey. Each artist provides detailed and entertaining commentary that reveals the story behind the vision.

Examines the personal life and literary career of the author of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Examines the personal life and literary career of the author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien is one of the most popular authors in modern-day publishing. Tolkien was a scholar of the English language and mythology. His interest in languages led him to develop his own language based loosely on Finnish and Welsh. Eventually, Tolkien began to create a mythology around this original language, which evolved into his now-famous books. Since it...

Peter Jackson's film version of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the accompanying proliferation of Rings-related paraphernalia, has once again brought the work of J.R.R. Tolkien to a popular audience. There are, however, few full and accessible treatments of the religious vision permeating Tolkien's influential works. Bradley Birzer has remedied that with his fresh study, J.R.R. Tolkien's sanctifying Myth: understanding Middle-earth. In it Birzer...

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. On his eleventy-first birthday, Bilbo disappeared, bequeathing to his young...

The epic conclusion to the adventures of Bilbo Baggins. The dragon Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women, and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo attempts to make him see reason.