The first chapter in Peter Jackson's new epic trilogy set in Middle Earth 60 years before J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saga. Follow Bilbo Baggins as he's swept into a quest to reclaim the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached by the wizard Gandalf, Bilbo joins a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Along the way they face many dangers; Bilbo meets Gollum and takes...

A poem from "Lord of the Rings" and primary illustrations follow the hobbit Bilbo Baggins on his final journey to the Grey Havens, while secondary illustrations at the bottom of each page depict his first journey on adventure as recounted in "The Hobbit."

It is well known that J.R.R. Tolkien published The Hobbit in 1937 and The Lord of the Rings in 1954–5. What may be less known is that he continued to write about Middle-earth in the decades that followed, right up until the years before his death in 1973. For him, Middle-earth was part of an entire world to be explored, and the writings in The Nature of Middle-earth reveal the journeys that he took as he sought to better understand his unique creation....

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-͠dr and the rise of Sauron. It was not until Christopher Tolkien published The Silmarillion...

In this illustrated edition of the fantasy classic read the story of Bilbo Baggins, a quiet and contented hobbit whose life is turned upside down when he joins the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves on their quest to reclaim stolen treasure.

The authorized biography of J. R. R. Tolkien, author of the epic "The Lord of the Rings."

Karen Wynn Fonstad's THE ATLAS OF MIDDLE-EARTH is an essential volume that will enchant all Tolkien fans. Here is the definitive guide to the geography of Middle earth, from its founding in the Elder Days through the Third Age, including the journeys of Bilbo, Frodo, and the Fellowship of the Ring. Authentic and updated - nearly one third of the maps are new, and the text is fully revised - the atlas illuminates the enchanted world created in THE...

Over 200 illustrations accompany entries concerning the lands, inhabitants, languages, geography, and history of Middle Earth. An appendix examines the legends Tolkien drew on in his writings: the Volsunga saga, the Nibelungenlied, and Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle.

The Fellowship divides to conquer, as Frodo and Sam, with the help and hindrance of Gollum, continue on their way to Mount Doom. Gandalf and Pippin ride to Minas Tirith to help defend Gondor, while Merry remains with Eowyn and the other Rohan fighters. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli seek aid from those that live in the Cursed Mountains. All these battles have one ultimate goal in mind: to distract the Eye of Sauron and buy Frodo as much time as possible...