The Complete Guide to Middle-earth: Tolkien's World from A to Z

by Robert Foster

Other authorsJohn Howe (Cover artist)
Paperback, 2003

Description

J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy works 'The Hobbit', 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Silmarillion' have delighted millions of readers over the years. 'Middle-earth', the world in which the stories take place, is as real and complex as our own. Events, geography and names were created with care and loving attention by Tolkien, who wanted every single detail of his books to fit into their total pattern. A belief in perfection, the fun of the sub-creation and the desire to create something totally convincing involved him in map-making, endless charts of dates and events and the development of his many invented languages. 'The Complete Guide to Middle-earth' was designed to add to the enjoyment of the reader of 'The Hobbit', 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Silmarillion' by bringing together in an A-Z sequence facts and information about names, languages, places and events from these central books which will provide an indispensable aid to every reader's discovery of Tolkien's world and the new edition has been enhanced by stunning illustrations, courtesy of celebrated Tolkien artist Ted Nasmith.--Amazon.com.… (more)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1978

Publication

Del Rey (2003), Edition: 1st Trade, Hardcover, 592 pages

ISBN

0345465296 / 9780345465290

Rating

½ (301 ratings; 3.9)

User reviews

LibraryThing member AzureMountain
I own two copies of this book. The paperback is my "as I am reading" reference book. I can annotate it, highlight it etc. The hardback is in my collecton. You do not need another Tolkien reference book if you own this one.
LibraryThing member arelenriel
There are several guides to the workd of Tolkien out there. This one by Robert Foster is THE best. Please if you are writing a fan fic or an essay on Tolkien (yes this is the proper spelling check the front of his books)refer to this work first.
LibraryThing member samlives2
A friend of mine and I found this book in our school library and had to work out an agreement as to who could borrow it when, because we both wanted it so badly. This is without a doubt the most useful and helpful of any reference I've come across, and the fact that it's in alphabetical order just
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spices up the deal.
Though I have to say I don't particularly like how all of the characters are depicted on the cover...
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LibraryThing member RockStarNinja
Anything you could possibly need to reference about Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarilian, and any other book set in Middle-Earth is in this book.
LibraryThing member Crowyhead
A handy reference tool.
LibraryThing member sonofcarc
Hobbits "liked to have books filled with things that they already knew, set out fair and square with no contradictions." This one fills the bill.

The cover art by the Hildebrandts is awful. Get a load of those silly hats.

Media reviews

It's a pleasant, meandering way to explore Tolkien's creation if you've got the patience for it, though if you just want to better identify one of the characters in, say, "The Silmarillion" or a collection like "Unfinished Tales," the guide can be frustrating.
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