The Complete Guide to Middle-earth - Illustrated A-Z

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.

‘Middle-earth is the country of J.R.R. Tolkien’s tales – the territory of Sauron, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf and Sam Gamgee – whose legends, history, geography and inhabitants combine to make a unique fictional world. This Guide is a comprehensive reference work to every name and event in Tolkien’s books, from The Hobbit to The Silmarillion.’
Daily Telegraph

‘Mr Robert Foster’s Complete Guide to Middle-earth supplies, as I have found through frequent use, an admirable work of reference.’
CHRISTOPHER TOLKIEN —