Most Popular Books by J. R. R.

For the first time ever, a beautiful slipcased 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, with the complete text printed in two colors and with many bonus features unique to this edition. 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." Unique to this edition are two poster-size, fold-out maps revealing all the detail of Thror''s Map and Wilderland, an illustrated 88-page booklet, and a printed art card reproducing Tolkien''s original dustjacket painting. It is additionally quarterbound in green leather, with raised ribs on the spine, stamped in three foils on black cloth boards, and housed in a custom-built clothbound slipcase. The pages are edged in gold and include a ribbon marker.

The complete collection of Tolkien’s essays, including two on Beowulf, which span three decades beginning six years before The Hobbit to five years after The Lord of the Rings.

J. R. R. Tolkien’s writings on the Second Age of Middle-earth, collected for the first time in one volume complete with new illustrations in watercolor and pencil by renowned artist Alan Lee. J.R.R. Tolkien famously described the Second Age of Middle-earth as a "dark age, and not very much of its history is (or need be) told." And for many years readers would need to be content with the tantalizing glimpses of it found within the pages of The Lord of the Rings and its appendices, including the forging of the Rings of Power, the building of the Barad-dûr and the rise of Sauron. It was not until Christopher Tolkien published The Silmarillion after his father’s death that a fuller story could be told. Although much of the book’s content concerned the First Age of Middle-earth, there were at its close two key works that revealed the tumultuous events concerning the rise and fall of the island of Númenor. Raised out of the Great Sea and gifted to the Men of Middle-earth as a reward for aiding the angelic Valar and the Elves in the defeat and capture of the Dark Lord Morgoth, the kingdom became a seat of influence and wealth; but as the Númenóreans’ power increased, the seed of their downfall would inevitably be sown, culminating in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Even greater insight into the Second Age would be revealed in subsequent publications, first in Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, then expanded upon in Christopher Tolkien’s magisterial twelve-volume The History of Middle-earth, in which he presented and discussed a wealth of further tales written by his father, many in draft form. Now, adhering to the timeline of "The Tale of Years" in the appendices to The Lord of the Rings, editor Brian Sibley has assembled into one comprehensive volume a new chronicle of the Second Age of Middle-earth, told substantially in the words of Tolkien from the various published texts, with new illustrations in watercolor and pencil by the doyen of Tolkien art, Alan Lee.

First ever illustrated eBook of the classic bestseller featuring more than 60 colour paintings and pencil drawings by the award-winning artist, Alan Lee, Conceptual Designer on Peter Jackson’s THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.

Darkness Will Bind Them... watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 on Prime Video

Os exércitos do Senhor das Trevas estão a crescer e a reunir forças, à medida que a sua sombra maligna se espalha pela Terra Média. Homens, Elfos e Anões unem forças para combater Sauron e os seus aliados. Alheios ao que se passa, Frodo e Sam continuam na terra de Mordor na sua busca heroica para destruir o Anel do Poder e impedi-lo de cair nas mãos erradas. Assim termina a obra-prima de J.R.R. TOLKIEN, iniciada em A Irmandade do Anel e As Duas Torres. Esta edição inclui os apêndices, índices e mapas detalhados da Terra Média. «Um final triunfante... um grande trabalho, grandioso tanto na conceção como na execução. Uma espantosa viagem de imaginação e de força». Daily Telegraph «Um feito impressionante, único entre as obras de imaginação dos nossos tempos.» The New York Herald-Tribune

After 75 years, The Hobbit translated for the first time into Latin. Fascinating for Latin learners and for Tolkien fans of all ages.

Darkness Will Bind Them... watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 on Prime Video This revised and expanded edition of Tolkien’s own Hobbit-inspired poetry includes previously unpublished poems and notes, and is beautifully illustrated by Narnia artist Pauline Baynes.

The Shaping Of Middle-Earth is the fourth volume that contains the early myths and legends which led to the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic tale of war, The Silmarillion. In this fourth volume of The History of Middle-earth, the shaping of the chronological and geographical structure of the legends of Middle-earth and Valinor is spread before us. We are introduced to the hitherto unknown Ambarkanta or “Shape of the World”, the only account ever given of the nature of the imagined Universe, ccompanied by maps and diagrams of the world before and after the cataclyusms of The War of the Gods and the Downfall of Numenor. The first map of Beleriend is also reproduced and discussed. In The Annals of Valinor and The Annals of Beleriend we are shown how the chronology of the First Age was moulded: and the tale is told of Aelfwine, the Englishman who voyaged into the True West and came to Tol Eressea, Lonely Isle, where he learned the ancient history of Elves and Men.

The third volume that contains the early myths and legends which led to the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic tale of war, The Silmarillion. This, the third volume of The History of Middle-earth, gives us a privileged insight into the creation of the mythology of Middle-earth, through the alliterative verse tales of two of the most crucial stories in Tolkien’s world—those of Turien and Luthien. The first of the poems is the unpublished Lay of The Children of Hurin, narrating on a grand scale the tragedy of Turin Turambar. The second is the moving Lay of Leithian, the chief source of the tale of Beren and Luthien in The Silmarillion, telling of the Quest of the Silmaril and the encounter with Morgoth in his subterranean fortress. Accompanying the poems are commentaries on the evolution of the history of the Elder Days, which was much developed during the years of the composition of the two Lays. Also included is the notable criticism in detail of the Lay of Lethian by C.S. Lewis, Tolkien''s friend and colleague, who read the poem in 1929. By assuming that this poem is actually a fragment from a past lost in history, Lewis underlined the remarkable power of its author''s imaginative talents and academic competence.

"Farmer Giles of Ham: Illustrated" is a delightful tale by J.R.R. Tolkien, enriched with charming illustrations that enhance the whimsical nature of the story. Set in the fictional English countryside of Ham, the narrative follows the adventures of Farmer Giles, an unassuming and somewhat bumbling farmer who unexpectedly finds himself thrust into the role of a hero. When a fearsome dragon threatens the peaceful village of Ham, Farmer Giles must summon all of his courage and cunning to confront the monstrous beast. Armed with little more than a sword and his wits, Giles embarks on a series of comical and courageous exploits that lead him into unexpected encounters with giants, wizards, and even the king himself. As Farmer Giles''s reputation as a dragon-slayer grows, so too does the hilarity and excitement of his adventures. Along the way, Tolkien weaves a rich tapestry of humor, satire, and whimsy, poking fun at traditional fairy tale tropes while celebrating the resilience and resourcefulness of the common man. Illustrated with delightful artwork that captures the spirit of Tolkien''s storytelling, "Farmer Giles of Ham: Illustrated" offers readers a delightful journey into a world of fantasy and fun. With its endearing characters, witty dialogue, and playful narrative style, this edition is sure to enchant readers of all ages and leave them smiling from ear to ear.

Available for the first time in one volume, this is the definitive collection of Tolkien’s five acclaimed modern classic ‘fairie’ tales in the vein of The Hobbit, fully corrected and reset for this edition.

Vorbei ist es mit dem beschaulichen Leben des angesehenen Bilbo Beutlin, seit er sich auf ein Abenteuer eingelassen hat, das Hobbitvorstellungen bei weitem übersteigt. Nicht nur, daß er sich auf eine Reise von der Dauer eines Jahres begibt, er läßt sich auch vom Zwergenkönig und seinen Genossen als Meisterdieb unter Vertrag nehmen und verpflichtet sich, den Zwergen bei der Rückgewinnung ihres geraubten Schatzes zu helfen. ”Tolkien hat das Verdienst, im nüchternen 20. Jahrhundert die Welt der Drachen, Elben, Zauberer und Könige wieder transparent zu machen.“ u003eSalzburger NachrichtenThe Hobbit

The translation of Beowulf by J.R.R. Tolkien was an early work, very distinctive in its mode, completed in 1926: he returned to it later to make hasty corrections, but seems never to have considered its publication. This edition is twofold, for there exists an illuminating commentary on the text of the poem by the translator himself, in the written form of a series of lectures given at Oxford in the 1930s; and from these lectures a substantial selection has been made, to form also a commentary on the translation in this book. From his creative attention to detail in these lectures there arises a sense of the immediacy and clarity of his vision. It is as if he entered into the imagined past: standing beside Beowulf and his men shaking out their mail-shirts as they beached their ship on the coast of Denmark, listening to the rising anger of Beowulf at the taunting of Unferth, or looking up in amazement at Grendel''s terrible hand set under the roof of Heorot. But the commentary in this book includes also much from those lectures in which, while always anchored in the text, he expressed his wider perceptions. He looks closely at the dragon that would slay Beowulf ''snuffling in baffled rage and injured greed when he discovers the theft of the cup''; but he rebuts the notion that this is ''a mere treasure story'', ''just another dragon tale''. He turns to the lines that tell of the burying of the golden things long ago, and observes that it is ''the feeling for the treasure itself, this sad history'' that raises it to another level. ''The whole thing is sombre, tragic, sinister, curiously real. The "treasure" is not just some lucky wealth that will enable the finder to have a good time, or marry the princess. It is laden with history, leading back into the dark heathen ages beyond the memory of song, but not beyond the reach of imagination.'' Sellic Spell, a ''marvellous tale'', is a story written by Tolkien suggesting what might have been the form and style of an Old English folk-tale of Beowulf, in which there was no association with the ''historical legends'' of the Northern kingdoms.

The first-ever standalone edition of one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s most important poetic dramas, that explores timely themes such as the nature of heroism and chivalry during war, featuring previously unpublished and never-before-seen texts and drafts. In 991 AD, Vikings attacked an Anglo-Saxon defense-force led by their duke, Beorhtnoth, resulting in brutal fighting along the banks of the river Blackwater, near Maldon in Essex. The attack is widely considered one of the defining conflicts of tenth-century England, due to it being immortalized in the poem, The Battle of Maldon. Written shortly after the battle, the poem now survives only as a 325-line fragment, but its value to today is incalculable, not just as a heroic tale but in vividly expressing the lost language of our ancestors and celebrating ideals of loyalty and friendship. J.R.R. Tolkien considered The Battle of Maldon “the last surviving fragment of ancient English heroic minstrelsy.” It would inspire him to compose, during the 1930s, his own dramatic verse-dialogue, The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son, which imagines the aftermath of the great battle when two of Beorhtnoth’s retainers come to retrieve their duke’s body. Leading Tolkien scholar, Peter Grybauskas, presents for the very first time J.R.R. Tolkien’s own prose translation of The Battle of Maldon together with the definitive treatment of The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth and its accompanying essays; also included and never before published is Tolkien’s bravura lecture, “The Tradition of Versification in Old English,” a wide-ranging essay on the nature of poetic tradition. Illuminated with insightful notes and commentary, he has produced a definitive critical edition of these works, and argues compellingly that, Beowulf excepted, The Battle of Maldon may well have been “the Old English poem that most influenced Tolkien’s fiction,” most dramatically within the pages of The Lord of the Rings.

Tolkien''s "The Hobbit," which first appeared on the literary scene in 1937, sets the stage for the epic trilogy that Tolkien was to write in the coming years. Unabridged. 4 CDs.