The classic bestseller behind this year's biggest movie, this film tie-in edition features the complete story of Bilbo Baggins' adventures in Middle-earth, with a striking cover image from Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY and drawings and maps by J.R.R. Tolkien. Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey 'there and back again'. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon...The prelude to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit has sold many millions of copies since its publication in 1937, establishing itself as one of the most beloved and influential books of the twentieth century.

The unforgettable story of Bilbo, a peace-loving hobbit, who embarks on a strange and magical adventure. A timeless classic now available as a two-part boxed set. Bilbo Baggins enjoys a quiet and contented life, with no desire to travel far from the comforts of home; then one day the wizard Gandalf and a band of dwarves arrive unexpectedly and enlist his services - as a burglar - on a dangerous expedition to raid the treasure-hoard of Smaug the dragon. Bilbo's life is never to be the same again. Seldom has any book been so widely read and loved as J.R.R. Tolkien's classic tale, 'The Hobbit'. Since its first publication in 1937 it has remained in print to delight each new generation of readers all over the world, and its hero, Bilbo Baggins, has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals of fiction.

此書敘述中土世界第一紀元的故事，遠比《魔戒》的時代古老許多，《魔戒》中的人物，如愛隆與凱蘭崔爾，都在這齣古老的戲劇中扮演了重要的角色。 書名《精靈寶鑽》是「精靈寶鑽爭戰史」的簡稱，描寫最有才能的精靈－－費諾所造三顆偉大寶石的故事；他將照亮諸神所居之地維林諾的雙聖樹的光芒收存到寶石之中。當黑暗之王魔苟斯摧毀了雙聖樹後，那璀璨的光芒唯獨活在精靈寶鑽中；魔苟斯奪走了寶石，將它們鑲在他的王冠上，他在中土大陸北方的堡壘，固若金湯的安格班中稱王。《精靈寶鑽》記載費諾與其族人背叛了諸神，流亡到了中土大陸，對魔苟斯這位巨大而可怕的敵人發動戰爭，寫下一連串精靈與人類絕望又英勇的故事。 本書除了最主要的「精靈寶鑽爭戰史」，還包含其他短篇：敘述創造之始的〈埃努的大樂章〉，描述諸神特性與力量的〈關於維拉與邁雅的記載〉，述說爭戰史之後的短篇〈努曼諾爾淪亡史〉，講述在第二紀元末努曼諾爾島上的王國沈淪滅亡的故事；最後，讓本書大功告成的短篇是〈魔戒與第三紀元〉。 《精靈寶鑽》於1977年首次出版時，曾獲得以下的佳評： 「這本一個人寫作超過半世紀的作品，竟成為一群人的創作源頭，這是怎麼辦到的？」 衛報 「原本抱著創作英文神話的雄心，最後卻成了偉大的真神話！」 金融時報 「一部非凡絕美的創作……在其最佳時刻展現壯麗風華。」 華盛頓郵報 「一本嚴酷、悲傷、細密構思而又美麗不已的書，充滿著英雄主義與希望。」 多倫多環球郵報

AN ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF THE FANTASY CLASSIC WITH SIX NEW PAGES OF ILLUSTRATIONS! First published in the United States more than seventy-five years ago, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is one of the best-loved books of all time. Now a blockbuster film by Peter Jackson, Academy Award–winning director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit was also adapted into a fully painted graphic novel, a classic in its own right, presented here in a new expanded edition. When Thorin Oakenshield and his band of dwarves embark upon a dangerous quest to reclaim stolen treasure from the evil dragon Smaug, Gandalf the wizard suggests an unlikely accomplice: Bilbo Baggins, a quiet and contented hobbit. Along the way, the company faces trolls, goblins, giant spiders, and worse. But in the end it is Bilbo alone who must face the most dreaded dragon in all Middle-earth—and a destiny that waits in the dark caverns beneath the Misty Mountains, where a twisted creature known as Gollum jealously guards a precious magic ring.

This revised edition of Tolkien's famous illustrated letters from 'Father Christmas' includes extracts and pictures not included in the original publication 25 years ago. Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R.Tolkien's children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery handwriting and a beautiful coloured drawing or some sketches. The letters were from Father Christmas. They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how all the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place; how the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas's house into the dining-room; how he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden; how there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house! Sometimes the Polar Bear would scrawl a note, and sometimes Ilbereth the Elf would write in his elegant flowing script, adding yet more life and humour to the stories. No reader, young or old, can fail to be charmed by the inventiveness and 'authenticity' of Tolkien's Letters from Father Christmas. To coincide with the 25th anniversary of its first publication, Letters from Father Christmas has been reformatted into an attractive and affordable new format, with the inclusion of every one of the delightful letters and pictures that Tolkien sent to his children.

Howard Shore's Academy Award-winning score for The Lord of the Rings has been hailed as among the greatest film music ever written. Sweeping in scope, it is an interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth as music --- an operatic tapestry of cultures, histories, languages, and principles. The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films takes the reader on an unprecedented journey into the heart of this history-making opus with extensive music examples, original manuscript scores, a rarities CD, and fascinating glimpses into the creative process from the composer himself. Includes: Foreword by Howard Shore Introduction by Fran Walsh Sketches by John Howe and Alan Lee Includes Exclusive Rarities CD of unreleased LOTR music Color stills from the films

Best-selling Tolkien expert Brian Sibley (The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings Official Movie Guide) presents a slipcased collection of four full-color, large-format maps of Tolkien's imaginary realm illustrated by John Howe, a conceptual designer for the blockbuster films directed by Peter Jackson. The set includes a hardcover book describing in detail the importance and evolution of geography within Tolkien's epic fiction and four color maps presented with minimal folds, including two (Beleriand and Numenor) never before published in this country.

Alan Lee, the Oscar-winning conceptual designer for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, discusses his approach to depicting Tolkien's imaginary world. The book presents more than 150 of Lee's celebrated illustrations to show how his imagery for both the illustrated Lord of the Rings and the films progressed from concept to finished art. In addition, the book contains 20 full-color plates and numerous examples of the conceptual art produced for Peter Jackson's film adaptation. The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook provides a wealth of background information and will be of interest to those who know and love Tolkien's work, from books to films to DVDs, as well as to budding artists and illustrators interested in how to approach book illustration.

From the Publisher Artists the world over have endeavored to capture the essence of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle–earth: the passion and heroism of the characters, the heart–stopping drama of the action, the mythic grandeur of Middle–earth itself. Few have succeeded. Pre–eminent among those who have is John Howe. Now, inMyth and Magic,which features 250 of his paintings and sketches, we are offered a splendid gallery of his work, including all the Tolkien pieces as well as a selection of his other fantasy paintings. From the beloved picture of “Smaug” that adornsThe Hobbitto the spectacular images that appear on best–selling novels, this collection will delight both Tolkien fans and all who have been captivated by one of the finest fantasy artists in the world.

A lavishly-illustrated study of Tolkien's paintings and drawings, set in the context of his writings. J.R.R. Tolkien (1892--1973), renowned author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion was an artist in pictures as well as in words. In fact, for him the two were closely linked, and in his paintings and drawings he displayed remarkable powers of invention that equalled his gift for words. His books have been read by many thousands; most of his art, however, has only been seen by a few. This book explores Tolkien's art at length, from his childhood paintings and drawings to his final sketches. At its heart are his illustrations for his books, especially his tales of Middle-earth. Also examined are the pictures Tolkien made for his children (notably in his 'Father Christmas' letters and for the story Mr. Bliss), his expressive calligraphy, his love of decoration, and his contributions to the typography and design of his books. J.R.R. Tolkien, Artist and Illustrator contains 200 reproductions, over half of which are in colour and many published for the first time.

A dual-edition full-color book for the millions of fans who have taken The Lord of the Rings to heart through the celebrated film trilogy. Many of the images included in this volume, depicting pivotal scenes and characters, were previously embargoed and have never appeared in book form. The work of Alan Lee and John Howe — the two artists most closely associated with Tolkien"s world — is featured, along with that of many other talented artists and designers. The artists" own descriptions of the design process used in creating the look of the films both enlighten and enliven this essential book.

A companion to The Art of The Fellowship of the Ring, this authoritative and insightful book is packed with more than five hundred full-color images — many exclusive to this volume — and shows the development of the imagery in The Two Towers from concept drawings to wide-screen glory. With illuminating captions telling the story of the images in the words of the artists and designers responsible for the look of the film, including the renowned artists Alan Lee and John Howe, and contributions from Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, Grant Major, Ngila Dickson, Paul Lasaine, and others, this book is a must for all fans of The Lord of the Rings. In this essential reference to the architecture and costumes of Jackson"s onscreen Middle-earth, the stunning large-format art, from sketches to paintings to three-dimensional maquettes and digital art, is lovingly reproduced with lavish production values to create a spectacular keepsake for the film"s millions of fans.

Alan Lee, the beloved illustrator of many of Houghton Mifflin"s Tolkien editions, and a talented team of other artists, including the renowned Tolkien illustrator John Howe, have spent more than three years creating the sets, props, creatures, and locations that truly bring Tolkien"s Middle-earth to life. Hobbiton, Rivendell, and Minas Tirith are no longer designations on the map. Literally hundreds of designers and craftspeople have been painstakingly adding authentic cultural details to each of more than 48,000 separate objects shown in The Fellowship of the Ring, from armor to props to architecture. All this and more is shown in Gary Russell"s lavishly illustrated book. Russell spent time on the set in New Zealand, conducting interviews with director Peter Jackson, special effects guru Richard Taylor, art directors Paul Lasainne, Dan Hennah, and Chris Hennah, costumer Ngila Dickson, and Alan Lee and John Howe. Featuring everything from pencil sketches to the finished objects, his book gives detailed descriptions of why and how this groundbreaking film looks as exciting as it does. The millions of fans dazzled by the results will find here everything they want to know about the genesis and evolution of the movie"s incredible look.