A comprehensive, illustrated guide to the history, lands, and inhabitants of Middle-earth.

The fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth contains a rich assortment of people, cities, and creatures, as well as a deep, intertwined history that spans thousands of years. In this beautifully illustrated volume, bestselling author and Tolkien scholar David Day presents four decades of research and writing on the lands and inhabitants Middle-earth. Sections of this A-to-Z reference book are devoted to discussion of the battles, history, beasts, and heroes of Tolkien's stories. This comprehensive volume on Tolkien's world also includes an appendix of three primary legends that served as sources for Tolkien's creations—the Volsunga saga, the Nibelungenlied, and Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle—and more than 200 black-and-white illustrations.