The History Of Middle Earth Part 2 by Christopher Tolkien Lord Of The Rings Book

"The History of Middle-earth: Part Two brings together four major volumes from Christopher Tolkien's monumental examination of the manuscripts and evolving mythology of his father, J.R.R. Tolkien. Comprising VI: The Return of the Shadow, VII: The Treason of Isengard, VIII: The War of the Ring, and IX: Sauron Defeated, this substantial omnibus documents the extraordinary creative development of The Lord of the Rings. Drawing directly upon Tolkien's surviving drafts, notes, maps and abandoned passages, Christopher Tolkien traces the story from its earliest conception through successive revisions, revealing characters, names and events taking shape — and sometimes changing dramatically — before reaching their familiar published forms.

Of particular importance to Tolkien scholarship, these four works provide an unparalleled account of how The Lord of the Rings was actually written. Early versions of major episodes are presented alongside Christopher Tolkien's detailed editorial commentary, allowing the reader to follow the development of the narrative almost stage by stage. The collection includes alternative versions of events, maps and other material absent from the finished novel, together with the fascinating evolution of such central elements as the Fellowship, Isengard, Rohan, Gondor and the final confrontation with Sauron. Sauron Defeated carries the history beyond the destruction of the Ring and includes Tolkien's abandoned Epilogue to The Lord of the Rings in its entirety.

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, this imposing omnibus is the First U.S. Edition, bringing volumes VI-IX of the twelve-volume History of Middle-earth sequence together in a single substantial volume. It is presented in its original unclipped dustjacket, with black cloth binding and gilt spine decoration beneath. An important and increasingly collectible reference work for the serious Tolkien reader, it offers both a remarkable piece of literary archaeology and an intimate view of the decades-long creative process behind one of the defining works of twentieth-century fantasy literature."