Product Description

'THE LORD OF THE RINGS', J. R. R. Tolkein Illustrated by Alan Lee 'Three Rings for the Eleven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone Nine for the Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.' In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout the Middle-earth still it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell, by chance, into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. From his fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, Sauron's power spread far and wide. He gathered all the Great Rings to him, but ever searched far and wide for the One Ring that would complete his dominion.On his eleventy-first birthday, Bilbo disappeared, bequeathing to his younger cousin, Frodo, the Ruling Ring, and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS' tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the wizard, Merry, Pippin and Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Boromir of Gondor, and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider. 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS' was first published in three volumes between 1954 and 1955, to great acclaim: "One of the most remarkable works of literature in our, or any, time." BERNARD LEVIN "No fiction I have read in the last five years has given me more joy" W. H. AUDEN "Like lightning from a clear sky ! heroic romance, gorgeous, eloquent and unashamed." C. S. LEWIS "The world is divided into those who have read 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of The Rings' and those who are going to read them." 'THE SUNDAY TIMES' Alan Lee was born in Middlesex in 1947.He attended the Ealing School of Art, specialising in illustration, and has illustrated a wide range of books including 'Faeries' (with Brian Froud), 'The Mabinogion, Castles' and 'Merlin Dreams.' He also worked on the film 'Erik the Viking.' Tolkien's work has inspired him ever since reading 'The Lord of the Rings' at an early age. He now lives and works on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27754 in Books
• Published on: 1991-09-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1200 pages

Sunday Telegraph
'Among the greatest works of imaginative fiction of the 20th century.’

About the Author
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on the 3rd January, 1892 at Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State, but at the age of four he and his brother were taken back to England by their mother. After his father's death the family moved to Sarehole, on the south-eastern edge of Birmingham. Tolkien spent a happy childhood in the countryside and his sensibility to the rural landscape can clearly be seen in his writing and his pictures. Alan Lee is the illustrator of the highly-successful centenary edition of 'The Lord of the Rings' and diamond edition of 'The Hobbit'. He studied graphic design and the depiction of Celtic and Norse myths and has illustrated a wide range of books, including 'Faeries', 'Merlin Dreams' and 'Castles', and was conceptual designer for Terry Jones' film 'Erik the Viking'. He was awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal for his illustrated edition of 'Black Ships Before Troy'.

Customer Reviews

The best edition a fan could get
In the unlikely occasion that you have never read the Lord of the Rings and are not too sure whether you would like it or not, get a cheaper paperback edition.
However if you have read it before and are looking for something to keep forever as a gem in your collection, this is it.
Not only have Alan Lee's paintings inspired Peter Jackson for the making of the films (the director himself stated in an interview that he tracked the artist down for it) but every picture reflects exactly the images of Middle- Earth as you imagine them in your head. As for the book, I have no doubt it is the most underrated example of classic British literature ever. How I wish you could study it at school. I have never come across anything more beautifully written and descriptive than this. A lot of people have said that the story will take you into different worlds, but for what concerns me, I never came back.
Once you start reading it PLEASE don't leave it...

The best edition available
Taking for granted the excellence of the Lord of the Rings - you wouldn't be looking at spending [money] on a copy if you weren't already persuaded of that - be assured that this is /the/ edition to have and to hold, with Alan Lee's illustrations complementing the text beautifully.

Should you be one of those people who sometimes need to use Tolkien page references, the pagination is the same as the one-volume paperback edition (with appendices and index). As the hardback is larger-format, therefore, the print is rather large. But if you're like me, you might want to hang on to your paperback copy for occasions when you actually want to /read/ the book, and keep this edition like a fine wine.

A must for Tolkien-loving bibliophiles (and, I might add, a darn sight cheaper here than elsewhere).

Must have
Everybody knows about "The Lord Of The Rings". But the works of Alan Lee make this edition worth every single penny. I bought it in '91, the very first print, and treasure it since then. Wonderful job, yet untouched by the "commerciality" of the last few years. If you liked the story and want to get a hardcover, you should definitely go for this edition.