all books tolkien wrote

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The following list, compiled by Charles E. Noad and updated by Ian Collier and Daniel Helen, includes all of Tolkien’s major publications. It is ordered by date of publication.

A Middle English Vocabulary . The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1922. (This is presently bound in with Fourteenth Century Verse & Prose, ed. Kenneth Sisam, from Oxford University Press.) A glossary of Middle English words for students.

Sir Gawain & The Green Knight . Ed. J.R.R. Tolkien and E.V. Gordon. The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1925. (Now available in a second edition edited by Norman Davis.) A modern translation of the Middle English romance from the stories of King Arthur.

The Hobbit: or There and Back Again . George Allen and Unwin, London, 1937. (There was a second edition in 1951, and a third in 1966. Reprinted many times.) The bedtime story for his children famously begun on the blank page of an exam script that tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins and the dwarves in their quest to take back the Lonely Mountain from Smaug the dragon.

Farmer Giles of Ham . George Allen and Unwin, London, 1949. A faux-medieval tale of a farmer and his adventures with giants, dragons, and the machinations of courtly life.

The Fellowship of the Ring: being the first part of The Lord of the Rings . George Allen and Unwin, London, 1954. second edition, 1966. One of the world’s most famous books that continues the tale of the ring Bilbo found in The Hobbit and what comes next for it, him, and his nephew Frodo.

The Two Towers: being the second part of The Lord of the Rings . George Allen and Unwin, London, 1954. Second edition, 1966. The continuation of the story begun in The Fellowship of the Ring as Frodo and his companions continue their various journeys.

The Return of the King: being the third part of The Lord of the Rings . George Allen and Unwin, London, 1955. Second edition, 1966. The conclusion to the story that we began in The Fellowship of the Ring and the perils faced by Frodo et al.

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book . George Allen and Unwin, London, 1962. A collection of sixteen ‘hobbit’ verses and poems taken from ‘The Red Book of Westmarch’.

Ancrene Wisse: The English Text of the Ancrene Riwle . Early English Text Society, Original Series No. 249. Oxford University Press, London, 1962. An edition of the Rule for a female medieval religious order.

Tree and Leaf . George Allen and Unwin, London, 1964. New edition, incorporating “Mythopoeia”, Unwin Hyman, London, 1988. Reprints Tolkien’s lecture “On Fairy-Stories” and his short story “Leaf by Niggle”.

Smith of Wootton Major . George Allen and Unwin, London, 1967. A short story of a small English village and its customs, its Smith, and his journeys into Faery.

The Road Goes Ever On: A Song Cycle . Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1967; George Allen and Unwin, London, 1968. (Second edition in 1978.) A collection of eight songs, 7 from The Lord of the Rings , set to music by Donald Swann.

Bilbo’s Last Song . George Allen and Unwin, London, 1974. Originally produced as a poster image illustrated by Pauline Baynes, reprinted several times. First published as a hardback with new illustrations by Baynes by Unwin Hyman in 1990.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl and Sir Orfeo . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1975. Tolkien’s translations of these Middle English poems collected together.

The Father Christmas Letters . Ed. Baillie Tolkien. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1976. A collection of Tolkien’s own illustrated letters from Father Christmas to his children.

The Silmarillion . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1977. Tolkien’s own mythological tales, collected together by his son and literary executor, of the beginnings of Middle-earth (and the tales of the High Elves and the First Ages) which he worked on and rewrote over more than 50 years.

Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1979. Revised edition, HarperCollins, London, 1992. A collection of Tolkien’s various illustrations and pictures.

Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1980. More tales from Tolkien’s notes and drafts of the First, Second, and Third Ages of Middle-earth giving readers more background on parts of The Lord of the Rings and The S ilmarillion .

Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien . Ed. Humphrey Carpenter with Christopher Tolkien. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1981. Tolkien wrote many letters and kept copies or drafts of them, giving readers all sorts of insights into his literary creations.

The Old English ‘Exodus’ . Ed. Joan Turville-Petre. The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1981. Tolkien’s translation with notes and commentary of the Old English poem.

Mr. Bliss . George Allen & Unwin, London, 1982. A delightful illustrated story for children of a man’s misadventures.

Finn and Hengest: The Fragment and the Episode . Ed. Alan Bliss. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1982. Tolkien’s translations and commentaries on the Old English texts for lectures he delivered in the 1920s.

The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1983. A collection of seven lectures or essays by Tolkien covering Beowulf , Gawain, and ‘On Fairy Stories’.

The Book of Lost Tales, Part I . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth : Vol. 1. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1983.

The Book of Lost Tales, Part II . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth : Vol. 2. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1984.

The Lays of Beleriand . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth : Vol. 3. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1985.

The Shaping of Middle-earth . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth : Vol. 4. George Allen and Unwin, London, 1986.

The Lost Road and Other Writings . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth : Vol. 5. Unwin Hyman, London, 1987.

The Return of the Shadow . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth : Vol. 6. Unwin Hyman, London, 1988.

The Treason of Isengard . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth : Vol. 7. Unwin Hyman, London, 1989.

The War of the Ring . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth : Vol. 8. Unwin Hyman, London, 1990.

Sauron Defeated . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth : Vol. 9. HarperCollins, London, 1992.

Morgoth’s Ring . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth : Vol. 10. HarperCollins, London, 1993.

The War of the Jewels . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth : Vol. 11. HarperCollins, London, 1994.

The Peoples of Middle-earth . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth : Vol. 12. HarperCollins, London, 1996.

Roverandom . Ed. Christina Scull and Wayne Hammond. HarperCollins, London, 1998. In the 1920s a toy dog was lost on a seaside holiday, to cheer his son up Tolkien created a story of the dog’s adventures.

Tales from the Perilous Realm . HarperCollins, London, 1997. (Contains: Farmer Giles of Ham, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, “Leaf by Niggle” and Smith of Wootton Major.)

The Children of H ú rin . Ed. Christopher Tolkien with illustrations by Alan Lee. HarperCollins, London, 2007. Christopher Tolkien’s collation of the various versions his father wrote of the story of Túrin Turambar into one seamless novel.

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollins, London 2009. Tolkien’s own versions of the story of Sigurd and his wife Gudrún, one of the great legends of northern antiquity.

The Fall of Arthur . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollins, London 2013. A collation of Tolkien’s versions of the tale of the end of the Arthurian cycle wherein Arthur’s realm is destroyed by Mordred’s treachery, featuring commentaries and essays by Christopher Tolkien.

Beowulf : A Translation and Commentary, together with Sellic Spell . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollins, London, 2014. The long-awaited Tolkien’s-own 1926 translation of Beowulf, coupled with his own commentary and selections from his lecture notes on the text, plus his ‘Sellic spell’ wherein Tolkien created an imaginary ‘asterisk’ source for the Beowulf of legend.

Tolkien On Fairy-stories . Ed. Verlyn Flieger and Douglas A. Anderson. HarperCollins, London, 2014.

The Story of Kullervo . Ed. Verlyn Flieger. HarperCollins, London, 2015. First publication of a previously unknown work of fantasy by Tolkien based on the Finnish Kalevala and which was the germ of the story of Túrin Turambar (with slight similarities to be found with Roverandom) with the author’s drafts, notes and lecture-essays on its source-work.

A Secret Vice: Tolkien on Invented Languages . Ed. Dimitra Fimi and Andrew Higgins. HarperCollins, London, 2016. A fuller publication of the 1931 lecture ‘A Hobby for the Home’ previously edited by Christopher Tolkien and published as ‘A Secret Vice’ in The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays . This new critical edition includes previously unpublished notes and drafts by Tolkien related to the lecture such as his ‘Essay on Phonetic Symbolism’. The editors examine these and discuss the central role of language to Tolkien’s creativity as well as uncovering the facts of when and where the lecture was given.

The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun . Ed. Verlyn Flieger. HarperCollins, London, 2016. Originally written in 1930 and long out of print in the UK, since its initial 1945 publication in The Welsh Review, this early but important work is published for the first time with Tolkien’s ‘Corrigan’ poems and other supporting material, including a prefatory note by Christopher Tolkien. The title story is of a lord of Brittany who being childless seeks the help of a Corrigan or fairy but of course there is a price to pay.

Leaf by Niggle . HarperCollins, London, 2016. The first stand-alone edition of this short story and published to coincide with a touring stage production of the story, this also features an ‘afterword’ by Tom Shippey that was originally in 2008’s edition of Tales from the Perilous Realm .

Beren and Lúthien . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollins, London, 2017. Painstakingly restored from Tolkien’s manuscripts by Christopher Tolkien the publisher’s claim that this presented a fully continuous and standalone story has meant some readers expected a book more akin to The Children of Húrin , rather than collated variant versions of the tale in a ‘history in sequence’ mode.

The Fall of Gondolin . Ed. Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollins, London, 2018. Similar to Beren and Lúthien , this book collates variant versions of this tale in a ‘history in sequence’ mode.

The Nature of Middle-earth . Ed. Carl Hostetter. HarperCollins, London, 2021. J.R.R. Tolkien’s final writings on Middle-earth, covering a wide range of subjects about the world and its peoples, and although there is a structure to the collected pieces the book is one to dip in and out of.

The Fall of Númenor . Ed. Brian Sibley. HarperCollins, London, 2022. Brian Sibley collates all of the published texts from the Second Age of Middle-earth with a unifying commentary.

The Battle of Maldon, together with The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth . Ed. Peter Grybauskas. HarperCollins, London, 2023. This book includes the very first publication of Tolkien’s prose version of the 10th Century alliterative poem “The Battle of Maldon”, together with his sequel to the battle, “The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth”.

J.R.R. Tolkien Books In Order

Publication order of the lord of the rings books, publication order of middle-earth universe books, publication order of the history of middle-earth books, publication order of history of the lord of the rings collections, publication order of tales of middle earth books, publication order of later silmarillion collections, publication order of standalone novels, publication order of short stories/novellas, publication order of short story collections, publication order of non-fiction books, publication order of anthologies.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is a highly acclaimed fantasy writer. J.R.R. Tolkien was born in Orange Free State, Bloemfontein in South Africa in the year 1892. He is known as the father of high fantasy. He is the one who is credited for the revival of the fantasy genre in 20th century and making it very popular among the readers. The Times magazine has ranked the author among 50 greatest writers since 1945. Two of his most famous books are ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and ‘The Hobbit.’

J.R.R. Tolkien spent his early life in a Birmingham Village called, Sarehole in England where his mother had moved after the death of J.R.R. Tolkien’s father, Arthur Tolkien, who died of rheumatic fever. While in Sarehool, Tolkien was bitten by a baboon spider. One may link the mention of spiders in his books as an effect of this particular incident. Many of the scenes in his books seem to be inspired by the scenery of Sarehole where he frequented to places like Sarehole Mill, Moseley Bog, Malvern Hills and other places. In his early childhood, Tolkien’s mother took charge of his studies and taught botany to him. However, Tolkien was very keen with the languages. Keeping thin in mind, his mother taught him Latin. He could read at the age of 3 and write at the age of 4. He read many of the famous fantastical works in English literature such as ‘Alice in the Wonderland’ as a child. His keen interest in fantasy seems to inspire his books.

In 1904, mother of the author died after which he was brought up by her close friend, Fr. Francis Xavier Morgan. Morgan had task to raise him as a good Catholic. Later in his life J.R.R. Tolkien went to Exeter college in Lancashire from where he did his graduation in the Germanic languages and classic literature. He joined the military as a lieutenant with Lancashire Fusiliers. He fought in the war of Somme but later he was released from his duties from military because of his illness. All this while, J.R.R. Tolkien continued with his writing as he has a deep interest in it. While serving in the military, he married, Edith Mary Bratt in 1916. Their meetings were opposed by Morgan because she was a protestant but their love for each other kept them together and later on Bratt got converted as a Catholic.

J.R.R. Tolkien continued his studies in linguistics and later in his career, he joined as a faulty at the University of Leeds, After that, he joined Oxford University as a professor of Anglo Saxon at Pembroke college. At the Oxford University he started a literary group called ‘Inkling’. Inkling had some illustrious members which included CS Lewis and Owen Barfield. J.R.R. Tolkien kept on working in his profession till 1959. While he was at Oxford, he wrote one of his most popular books ‘the Hobbit’. After that he published an essay and poetry collection and wrote ‘Smith of Wootton’ which is a fantasy. His wife died in the year 1971 and he died in the year 1973 at the age of 81. A year before his death, the author was honored by queen Elizabeth as ‘the commander of the order of the British empire’ in 1972. The author is survived by four of his children. J.R.R. Tolkien’s son Christopher has published a series of books based on the notes and manuscripts left by the author.

Two of the most popular books written by the author are ‘The Hobbit’ and the ‘Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy. These books sold millions of copies worldwide. Tolkien’s one of the most famous books ‘The Hobbit’ was published in the year 1937. It was considered to be a children’s’ book though Tolkien did not describe it as a children’s book. One of the great features of this book is the 100 drawings in the book created by the author. The main character of the book is Bilbo Baggins. The book is all about the adventure of its lead character, Bilbo.

The masterpiece of J.R.R. Tolkien is ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy which is considered as one of the best fiction work in the 20th century. This work strengthened the fantasy genre. Strong reflection of ‘Lord of the Rings’ can be found in other works of fantasy. It was a series of three books and one of the most popular ones in the modern times. The book is inspired by European myths. The there books of the trilogy are the ‘Fellowship of the Ring’, ‘The Two Towers’ and the last one ‘The Return of the King.’ These three books were published in the year 1954 and 1955. The author had spent almost 10 years just writing the narrative of the book. Originally, the author had intended it as a book for children but as he went on writing, it became more serious and dark. The trilogy is a rich fantasy and you will find characters such as talking trees, elves and Goblins.

The characterization has been superb in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and many of the characters have become fictional legends. Two of the most famous characters in the book are that of Gandalf and Gimli. Gandalf is considered to be one of the strongest characters in the book. Gandalf, for many is the best and most powerful character ever in a fantasy novel. Other popular characters from the book are Legolas, who can shoot five arrows in one go. Many consider the character of the Aragorn as the best. His nobility and humbleness is loved by the readers and movie goers. The character of Gimli is lovable as well. He is short and stocky but very stubborn. He will do what he likes.

‘The Lord of the Rings’ has received rave reviews. In a BBC survey the book was declared as the ‘most loved’ book ever. Amazon.com customers termed the book as ‘best work of the millennium.’

‘The Lord of The Rings’ trilogy has been adapted as a movie by the director, Peter Jackson which had some of the most popular Hollywood stars in the film. The film has been one of the most successful films ever and has won several academy awards. Peter Jackson also adopted another popular book by Tolkien, ‘The Hobbit’ in a movie. This movie has three parts.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkein has helped revive the fantasy genre not only in books but in movies as well. ‘Lord of the rings’ is one of the most celebrated book and a movie ever.

One Response to “J.R.R. Tolkien”

Thank you for an excellent summary of Tolkien’s life and the well-organized list of his works. I’ve been to other websites for this information; yours is by far the most helpful. Thank you so much!

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• Tuesday 7 October 2014 - Will we ever see The Silmarillion on the big screen?

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Probably the second most frequently asked question I get is the order in which to read tolkien's works. The first being an enquiry about the value of a particular Tolkien book. The question about the reading order is however a complex one, and probably more difficult to answer than to determine the value of a collectible Tolkien book. When you read tolkien's The Lord of the Rings , or when you watch the Peter Jackson movie adaptation, you always get a hint of the vast history that shines through and indeed when Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , he was already working for many years at the underlying mythologies; the stories he actually longed to write, The Silmarillion . In the end Tolkien never finished (t)his masterpiece and it was only released after his death, thanks to the editing work of his son Christopher Tolkien. Whenever a character in one of tolkien's tales disappeared from the story line, he wanted to find out what happened to it (and to make sure when it re-entered the tale, its history and events matched with the ongoing tale). Tolkien ended up writing many texts that were not used in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings . At the same time Tolkien was developing the history (and languages) of Middle-earth, which resulted into The Silmarillion as we know now. But since Tolkien wrote and rewrote many of these texts during his life it took Christopher Tolkien 12 volumes to minuscule describe the whole creation process and get all written documents published. These 12 volumes are called The History of Middle-earth . Surprisingly, before these 12 volumes Christopher Tolkien also published Unfinished Tales , which included variants or side stories from The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion . Actually it was because the commercial success of this edited collection of stories and essays that Christopher Tolkien embarked on the journey to publish The History of Middle-earth . In April 2007, we received one more finished Middle-earth related tale called The Children of Hurin , partially published before in Unfinished Tales , The Silmarillion and The History of Middle-earth . Since that release it has become even more difficult to decide which book to read first and to determine a good reading order. Next to the tales of Middle-earth, Tolkien wrote excellent poetry, other stories and fairy tales that are very worthwhile to read, it are these books that, although not taking place in the realm of Middle-earth, will be enjoyed by many and should be part of any serious Tolkien book list. Some prefer to read tolkien's books in the order they were published, maybe this is not such a bad idea, others want to read the books in chronological order and read the history as it evolves, starting from the creation of Middle-earth until the end... yet it is a very difficult quest and I believe it is very hard to enjoy this reading order since you'll have to jump from the one book to the other constantly.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien The best book to get introduced to Middle-earth is The Hobbit, an easy and lighthearted fantasy story, which Tolkien wrote first, without having much back-story and historical details in mind. In fact it was a story he told to his children as a bedtime story; and only because of tolkien's children pointing out mistakes, Tolkien decided to write down the tale in the early 1930s. It was eventually published because he lent it to to some people outside of the family, including C.S. Lewis, Elaine Griffiths, the Reverend Mother St. Teresa Gale (the Mother Superior at Cherwell Edge, a convent of the Order of the Holy Child Jesus), and one child, a girl of twelve or thirteen, presumably Aileen Jennings, the older sister of the poet Elizabeth Jennings, whose family was friends with the Tolkiens, who encouraged him to finish the book. Finally it was seen by the 10-year old son of Sir Stanley Unwin, Rayner Unwin, who wrote such an enthusiastic review of the book that it was published by Allen & Unwin in 1937. The most interesting way to start reading the tale would be by reading a first edition . It is not well known, but when J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his masterpiece The Lord of the Rings , he rewrote part of his earlier book, The Hobbit . The major change was in the fifth chapter "Riddles in the Dark" and now this rewritten version has become the standard. John D. Rateliff has listed all the exact changes in The History of the Hobbit . In 1985 (and even today) not a lot of people were aware of this change and there for the original fifth chapter saw a reprint in Masterpieces of Terror and the Supernatural: A Treasury of Spellbinding Tales Old and New , selected by Martin Kaye. This book is not so hard to find in perfect condition and therefore an easy way to obtain the Riddles in the Dark in its first form. The fun part about this chapter is that the reason of rewriting The Hobbit was also included in the tale of The Lord of the Rings ; where we can read that Bilbo did tell a completely different tale about his encounter with Gollum and the discovery of the one ring. Of course, to give the one ring more power and credibility, Tolkien had to rewrite the original "Riddles in the Dark" and so it is very interesting to re-read the new riddle chapter after you finish The Lord of the Rings and have read how Gandalf discovers that Bilbo's original version did not make sense. Now what would be a lovely edition to read The Hobbit ? I personally prefer a copy that includes Tolkien original drawings and a size that lies well in the hand, but when I do read it for my kids I mostly go for a fine illustrated edition, for example one with illustrations by Michael Hague or with the excellent drawings by Alan Lee. But of all editions I prefer the 70th Anniversary Edition . This classic hardback edition is once again featuring the distinctive cover illustration painted by Tolkien himself, it has been redesigned to match the popular hardback editions of the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings, which also feature tolkien's cover illustrations. The jacket is slightly mat, like a real watercolor painting, and reproduces tolkien's own dust jacket design for the very 1st UK edition. Here we can see a red sun and dragon which was tolkien's original wish; the red color that had been dropped by the publisher for the first edition jacket because of the high costs. The inside of the dust wrapper is very sturdy and has a glossy finish. It is a very strong and high quality dust jacket and will stand the test of time. Harper Collins has done a wonderful job on this edition. Both maps are also improved and are printed on high quality paper and show a color scheme which reproduces a real antique map, this really is very nice and makes the maps stand out even more.

The Lord of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings is the natural sequel of The Hobbit and completes this story. However in this book it is clear that tolkien's mind was already on the vast mythologies and history behind this tale and this shines through the complete book. It can be argued that Tolkien only wrote this book because of the demand for more 'hobbit tales' and that he actually longed to write The Silmarillion . The tone of this book is different and is much less a children story then The Hobbit . Most people have now seen the movie and it is now time to read the book! The Lord of the Rings is one of those books that either works for you or is a book that somehow doesn't and never will. Tolkien once said "The Lord of the Rings is one of those things: if you like you do: if you don’t, then you boo!" . In fact I believe it even goes further, once the book sticks most people will not be able to put the book down until it is finished. Most people stumble over the prologue, especially when they read the book for the first time, but since you just finished the Hobbit you can skip this if you wish (and read it in the end when you have completed the Lord of the Rings). Originally The Lord of the Rings was released in three volumes, each covering two books. These days there are several deluxe editions and one-volume editions , but I personally prefer to read the books in three volumes. My favorite set to read The Lord of the Rings is the 2005 classic hardback edition, featuring tolkien's original unused dust-jacket design. It includes special packaging and the definitive edition of the text, with fold-out map. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of its first publication, the text was been fully restored with almost 400 corrections in 2005 -- with the full co-operation of Christopher Tolkien -- making it the definitive version, and as close as possible to the version that J.R.R. Tolkien intended. This edition matches in size and looks with the Hobbit 70th anniversary edition mentioned above.

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien The Silmarillion is actually tolkien's first book and also his last. In origin it precedes even The Hobbit , and is the story of the First Age of tolkien's Middle-earth. It shows us the ancient history to which characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, talk, rhyme and sing about. Tolkien worked on it, changed it, and enlarged it throughout his entire life. It was edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien, with the assistance of fantasy fiction writer Guy Gavriel Kay to reconstruct some major parts. The Silmarillion is one of those books that gets better every time you read it. In fact, I would even say, the more you read it the less you understand how one person was able to write it; and so far it is one of the best books I have read. Still, I have to admit that when I started reading in it as a kid I never managed to get past the first chapter. Maybe it was because my English was too poor? Maybe I was still too young? In the end I believe it was because I lacked the general picture of the story, the history of events and there for was unable to enjoy the story. At first the tale felt very archaic and it overwhelmed me with names and descriptions of too many characters. One day however I bought myself an audio book of The Silmarillion and everything changed. Once I had heard the complete tale and knew the big picture, knew who was who, I finally managed to read the book. Since then I have re-read The Silmarillion multiple times and still I discover new things, new emotions, new details... it feels like watching to the stars; there is always more stars to discover, you only need to look in between the stars you already found! And every new star you discover feels like a surprise and looks magnificent. Now a complete universe has opened up for me and its vastness is getting overwhelming but remains so fascinating I just have to keep looking! So, what would be a nice edition to read The Silmarillion ? Myself I prefer to read them in the black deluxe edition . Probably because it is copy you can carry around easily and within the slipcase will stay beautiful for a long long time. But any other edition will do, for example the 2006 reissue that matches The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings mentioned above. It shows the same matte cover featuring an original drawing by J.R.R. Tolkien; Taniquetil the great Holy Mountain.

Unfinished Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien Unfinished Tales , as the title aptly suggests, is a collection of tolkien's expanded Middle-earth stories. These are mostly longer versions of tales from The Silmarillion , but there are plenty of revealing Lord of the Rings moments featuring old favorites Gandalf, Elrond, The Nazgul, Balrogs,... edited into a single volume by the authors son, Christopher Tolkien. Unlike The Silmarillion, which is universally recognised as a vital part of tolkien's literary masterwork (but takes some effort to wade through the complexities of names, places, ages and references included in the earlier volume), Unfinished Tales is surprisingly straightforward, by comparison; The style of writing is, for the most part, comparable to the tone of The Lord of the Rings , including many (not to be missed) moments of classic Tolkien humour, some bitter-sweet observations on the human condition with regard to affairs of the heart and the spirit, and last but not least lashings of swashbuckling adventure. There is of course plenty of background detail and tolkien's trademark descriptive passages read wonderfully well. I believe anyone who loved The Lord of the Rings will certainly enjoy this book. In fact, the first time I read it, I was very pleased to find another work that gave me the same feeling I got when reading The Lord of the Rings ; some parts in Unfinished Tales are very moving and I believe that in this book are some of the most beautiful tales written by J.R.R. Tolkien. I would advise any Tolkien fan to read, and enjoy, this fantastic volume. There are several lovely editions, like the new paperback edition with the lovely cover by Ted Nasmith , but here I'll list the latest edition, published in 2006, that matches in size and looks with all books listed above. It has the matte cover and shows a picture by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Tales from the Perilous Realm by J.R.R. Tolkien To say it with David Brawn's words , "the flagship book of 2008 was The Tales from the Perilous Realm, the definitive reading edition of Roverandom , Farmer Giles of Ham , Leaf By Niggle , The Adventures of Tom Bombadil , and Smith of Wootton Major " . I guess most people would not add this book into this list, since most of these tales do play outside the realm of Middle-earth, but I believe this collection of tales just deserves the same respect as J.R.R. tolkien's other works. For example Leaf by Niggle is my all time favorite Tolkien story, I just love Farmer Giles of Ham ,... so, yes, after Unfinished Tales it is time to read all smaller books J.R.R. Tolkien wrote! And here they are all together in one volume. Roverandom and the four other tales are written with the same skill, quality and hallmarks that made tolkien's The Hobbit a classic. In the past they were largely overlooked because of their short lengths, but once you read them will reaffirm tolkien's place as a master storyteller for readers young and old. The 2008 edition of Tales from the Perilous Realm: Roverandom and Other Classic Faery Stories was released as a hardback edition and includes a lovely dust jacket painting by Alan Lee, together with a number of pencil drawings that illustrate each of the five works in the collection. It also includes a special introduction written by the world-renowned Tolkien scholar and writer, Tom Shippey. This is the edition I would advise to buy, or the signed deluxe edition . Here you can see some sample pages from this edition of Tales from the Perilous Realm by J.R.R. Tolkien [ pdf ], guess that tells enough why I like it!

The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien The Children of Hurin , begun in 1918, was one of three 'Great Tales' J.R.R. Tolkien worked on throughout his life, though he never realised his ambition to see it published in his lifetime. Some of the text will be familiar from extracts and references within the other Tolkien books you already read, but here the entire story has been presented in its complete form. The text of The Children of Húrin is in part compiled from these extant texts (parts of The Silmarillion , Unfinished Tales , The Book of Lost Tales , The Lays of Beleriand , etc), and particularly that which appears in Unfinished Tales . The text as a whole can be said to be "new" as it is a recomposition of published texts and other pieces that weren’t published previously. The completed puzzle, in a sense. Still, while I believe the version in Unfinished Tales is a lot stronger, it is very nice to read one of the 'Great Tales' in full. I hope other books like these will be published in the near future! In addition to the text The Children of Hurin features a jacket, colour paintings and pencil drawings by Alan Lee, illustrator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Centenary Edition and Oscar®-winning designer of the Peter Jackson film trilogy.

The History of Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien Still looking for more Tolkien? Although J.R.R. Tolkien is well known for The Hobbit , The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion , the material which laid the groundwork for what must be the most fully realised sub-creation ever to spring from a single imagination was begun many years before the publication of The Hobbit , and indeed Tolkien continued to work upon its completion. The History of Middle-earth is one of the largest works of 'literary archeology', and was marvously undertaken by J.R.R tolkien's son Christopher Tolkien. During the 1980s and 1990s, Christopher Tolkien edited the vast collection of manuscripts together with maps and illustrations and published most of his father's Middle-earth writings as the 12-volume History of Middle-earth series. In addition to the source material and earlier drafts of several portions of The Lord of the Rings , these books greatly expand on the original material published in The Silmarillion , and in many cases diverge from it. Part of the reason for this is that Christopher Tolkien heavily edited The Silmarillion to ready it for publication, in places incorrectly because he was unaware of the existence of much material which had come to light only long after publication. The first five volumes talk about the early history of The Silmarillion , composed from the manuscripts from 1920 till 1930. The next 4 volumes concentrate on the The Lord of the Rings , its creation, including early drafts and alternate versions of events, maps, illustrations and explanations not found in the book. The last three volumes tell the later history of The Silmarillion , written after Tolkien had completed The Lord of the Rings and in these works the historical structure of the Ages that link The Lord of the Rings with The Silmarillion actually emerges. The History of Middle-earth is very long and several parts are hard to read, but inside are some true gems. Some of the alternative versions or completely new tales that can be found here are of very high quality and only for this reason it is nice to read it. I guess if you really are into Tolkien and want more... these are the books you want to read. My personal favorite is volume 10 of the series, but there are many fabulous parts that I like re-reading now an then. While I also have to admit that some parts are just hard labour to read and some chapters did not capture my complete attention, overall I believe that one day a lot of people will realize what a massive amount of material was brought together in these twelve volumes. I would even go so far that there will probably be a day that the bigger literature society will be thankfull and finally show the respect for the incredible work done by Christopher Tolkien. While most prefer to read The History of Middle-earth in the Deluxe version , because it is handy to carry around, I prefer either to read them in paperback or the original 1st editions . My all time favorite set however is the three volume set, once released in a box, now available in three handy volumes.

Interestings external links

• Chronological Tolkien discusses the issue and also provides a calculator to find the exact reading order.
• The order to read tolkien's books by David Bratman (this link is sadly no longer online).

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A Guide Into Reading J.R.R Tolkien Books in Order

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At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks for J.R.R Tolkien Books :

• The Hobbit  (1937) – Our Top Pick
• The Lord of the Rings  (1954)
• The Silmarillion  (1977)
• Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth  (1980)
• The History of Middle-earth  (1983 to 1996)

JRR Tolkien was the first one in his family to attend college. His passion for literature led him to uncover the bedazzling world of myths and legends. Since then, he devoted much of his life and literary work to develop worlds of fantasy that are hard to match to this day.

Wondering about which order should one read JRR Tolkien books is a valid question. This is because Tolkien’s stories are intertwined in a glorious manner. 

Another aspect to consider when thinking about Reading JRR Tolkien books in order is that some of his books were actually published posthumously by his son. 

However, we’ll put JRR Tolkien’s books in the chronological order of publication so that you have a broader view of his fantasy world. Then, you can shuffle around as you like.

Table of Contents

J.R.R Tolkien Books in Order

1. the hobbit  (1937).

This widely acclaimed book started as a bedtime story that JRR Tolkien used to tell his kids—with the encouragement of fellow writers back then, such as  C.S. Lewis Tolkien decided to take it to print by 1937.

This story can be considered as an introduction to Tolkien’s famous Middle-earth. This is the fictional world that he created and became the never-ending source of events in the Hobbit and later works. 

What started off as a kids’ short story was later banned several times. The latest ban was in New Mexico, where it was thought to have satanic themes.

This book tells the story of the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who lives in Bag End. Bilbo’s serene life was interrupted by the unwelcomed arrival of Gandalf, the wizard. 

Gandalf manages to convince Bilbo to join a group of dwarfs in an adventure where they’ll attempt to recover their stolen treasure. 

At first, the other dwarfs were not excited about Bilbo. Nevertheless, the group set out into the unknown, where they met trolls, goblins, and fires. 

Later, Bilbo meets Gollum, a creature that carries what seems to be a mysterious ring. He challenges Bilbo to solve some riddles and if Bilbo gets them right, he’ll be shown a way out of a tunnel in which he was trapped. 

Throughout this sequence, Bilbo discovers magical powers in the ring that can take him back to the group and save them from other perils. The closer the group comes to the Lost Mountain, the fiercer the obstacles. 

2. The Lord of the Rings  (1954)

This story complements the Hobbit. When you read this book, you’ll be able to see how far Tolkien has gone with the world and the back story. 

Although this book was originally written because people wanted more hobbit stories, it was different in tone when compared to its predecessor. This book was intended for adults more than kids. 

Even though it originated from the Hobbit, this story was much larger and more elaborate.

This book takes place in Middle-earth. As the name suggests, it tells the story of the wizard Sauron.

When he was young, Sauron created the One Ring to control the other rings of power. With these indestructible weapons, Sauron will be able to rule over Middle-earth. 

The themes and ideas that Tolkien presented in this story have been the subject of much scrutiny. 

In this story, Tolkien explores themes that include religion, mythology, and his personal experience during WW1. Also, the book alluded to Tolkien’s opposing opinion about the post-industrialization world.

When The Lord of the Rings was first published, it came out in 3 volumes. This is because the publishers wanted to minimize the risk in case the book was a flop. 

Little did they know that The Lord of the Rings will sell more than 150 million copies throughout the course of the following years. 

3. The Silmarillion  (1977)

The Silmarillion is famously dubbed as Tolkien’s first book and also his last. Many of the stories available in  Unfinished Tales  found their way back in The Silmarillion. 

This book might be Tolkien’s dearest project. This is where he had put his mythological themes, fiction, and archetypes under the same cover. 

Throughout Tolkien’s writing journey, he tried to publish the Silmarillion but to no avail. The publishers kept dismissing it and asking for more story-based content. 

Therefore, The Silmarillion has only seen the light after Tolkien’s death when it was edited and published by his son.

The Silmarillion comprises 5 parts, which explores the universe of Eä. This term means “the World that Is”. 

The first part takes us back to when the universe of Eä was created. The second part talks about the powers and energies within that universe. 

After these 2 introductory parts, Tolkien tells us the history and events that took place during the first age of that universe in the third part. He also tells us about the wars over the Silmarils jewels.

He continues that trend in the fourth and fifth parts, where he recounts the history of Numenor and the events that took place in the second and third ages.

The Silmarillion requires the reader to be previously acquainted with Tolkien’s world and background story. Therefore, it shouldn’t be your first choice if you’re still starting off with Tolkien. 

4. Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth  (1980)

This is a must-read for those who enjoyed The Lord of the Rings. This collection of short stories was edited and published by Tolkien’s son after his death. 

The tales expand on existing parts in The Lord of the Rings, bringing back many favorable characters such as Gandalf.

The tone and feel of Unfinished Tales mirror that of The Lord of the Rings. In this book, Tolkien took the opportunity to delve into more details and background stories of his world.

Nevertheless, the book is rich in emotional and humane moments. It focused on exploring the human psyche and how it reacts to the outer world. 

This literary work proved that Tolkien’s stories and style were still in demand even long after his death. Many people argue that The Unfinished Tales include some of Tolkien’s best writing. 

The success of this book encouraged his son to publish the 12-volume series of The History of Middle-earth. This brought together all the material put by Tolkien about his elaborate mystical world. 

5. The History of Middle-earth  (1983 to 1996)

The History of Middle-earth is one of the largest books of literary archeology. As we mentioned before, it was put together by Tolkien’s son in 12 volumes. It brings together material written between 1983 and 1996. 

The first 5 parts discuss the beginning of the history of The Silmarillion. The following 4 parts talk about The Lord of the Rings, how it came to life, and the early versions of many events that you can’t find in the series itself. 

Later parts dive deep into different aspects of the Silmarillion: how the different ages connect, and how the Silmarillion links with The Lord of the Rings. 

One should not mistake this book for a chronological statement about Middle-earth. But rather, it’s a journey inside Tolkien’s creative thinking while creating this world of his. 

It’s rich in details, descriptions, and ideas. Although the long passages aren’t for everyone to enjoy, Tolkien’s language makes the words come to life in a way you can’t really see in other fantasy books . 

It’s interesting to know that Tolkien’s son had decided not to include anything related to The Hobbit in this book. He thought that this tale didn’t belong to this mythology, but rather, it was his bedtime story. 

However, later on, a separate book was dedicated to The History of The Hobbit. 

The more you read into creative world-building, the more you realize Tolkien’s great influence on modern literature. 

6. Tales from the Perilous Realm  (1997)

Tolkien’s stories are considered mythology. This is why they remain famous. It’s because readers interact with them on many levels, both consciously and unconsciously. 

Being an English professor had made him an expert on that matter. However, not all of Tolkien’s work took place in Middle-earth.

Tales from the Perilous Realm is a compilation of some short stories and poems written by Tolkien, some of which were published previously in other books. 

 The Harper Collins edition includes the following:

● Farmer Giles of Ham, a short story about a fight between a farmer and a dragon

● Smith of Wootton Major, a story about a cook who has to create a special cake for the feast of good children

● Leaf by Niggle, a short story about Niggle, who is thought to reflect Tolkien’s anxieties as a writer

● Lecture and essay titled “On Fairy-Stories”

7. The Children of Húrin  (2007)

Although this book was started in the 1910s, it was first published almost a century later. Like some of Tolkien’s other works, it was the son’s efforts that brought this book to life. 

This book is one of the 3 great tales that took place in the first age. You can find more about them in the Silmarillion.

The backstory is about Morgoth, the antagonist, telling how he escaped imprisonment with his supernatural powers. 

Later, he tries to gain control over Middle-earth, resulting in a war with the immortal race of the Elves.

Fast forward, the book continues with the story of the descendants of the “Men” who rebelled against Morgoth and therefore suffered from his curse. 

Hurin, a Man, had a son named Turin. In the past, Hurin was a prisoner of Morgoth following the battle of Unnumbered Tears.

Turin was sent to live in the lands of the Elves, Doriath. Following an accident, Turin had to escape this place. 

Meanwhile, Turin manages to grow a gang of his own and become their leader. His life becomes full of ups and downs until he learns about his sister and mother being in Doriath. 

The turmoil stands against the family trying to reunite and the story ends tragically.

Other Works

The fact that Tolkien’s works were always intertwined and rich in background stories has made his legacy a gift that keeps on giving.

This is why we still see new editions of books written initially by Tolkien but edited by others; most notably, his son. 

Moreover, Tolkien’s creative mind gave birth to other literary forms beyond Middle-earth and its stories. He wrote poetry, essays, short stories, and novellas. 

It’s important to note that many of these literary pieces can be found in multiple books under different titles. 

For example, the novella “ Smith of Wootton Major ” was published as a standalone book in addition to being part of  Tales from the Perilous Realm .

In this section, we’ll walk you through the other books JRR Tolkien is famous for.

●  The Adventures of Tom Bombadil : a collection of poetry featuring Tom Bombadil, a character found in The Lord of the Rings.

●  Farmer Giles of Ham : A comic fable written in 1937. It’s a story about a farmer who meets a dragon and together they rise to power.

●  Smith of Wootton Major : a novella published in 1967. It’s about a cook who makes a cake for the Feast of Good Children.

●  Roverandom : another novella by Tolkien, written in 1925. It’s about the adventures of a dog that was transformed into a toy by a wizard.

 Conclusion

Many people believe that Tolkien’s ability to create worlds remains superior to any other writer. There are always new things to figure out and characters to explore.

Some of Tolkien’s works were adapted to other forms of media, whether radio or film. While achieving great success, many people argue that no film can capture the grandiosity of Tolkien’s imagination. 

Although his worlds might seem complicated, Tolkien’s genius comes from his ability to deliver his thoughts in the simplest manner and language. 

Being an English professor has helped him in employing his knowledge into his stories with a creative choice of words. 

Put all these qualities together and the result will be a great writer whose life was one great endless dream into a world of his own creation.

Share with us in the comments, what book of JRR Tolkien did you like the most? 

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How to read j.r.r. tolkien's lord of the rings books in order: chronological & release date.

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Every Upcoming Lord Of The Rings Movie & TV Show

Peter jackson's lord of the rings movie return is a killer blow for amazon's the rings of power, wb's new lord of the rings movie just retconned a controversial peter jackson book change.

• Begin with Tolkien's creation story in 'The Silmarillion' for a deep dive into the birth of Middle-earth's universe and lore.
• Follow the timeline from the First Age to the end of the Third Age with various novels in Tolkien's meticulously crafted Middle-earth chronology.
• Whether you choose to read in release order or chronological order, savor the magic of Tolkien's rich and intricate world-building at your own pace.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote several stories set in Middle-earth along with The Lord of the Rings , each taking place at different points in this fictional universe's timeline. Of course, with many of these books being prequels to Frodo's story, it can sometimes be confusing to pinpoint a reading order. Those looking to get into Tolkien's Middle-earth works can choose between the chronological and release date orders, and both come with pros and cons.

Tolkien's first book set in Middle-earth was The Hobbit , and he expanded his world from there. His The Lord of the Rings books became the figurehead for the overall franchise , and, thanks to Peter Jackson's film trilogy, is what often comes to mind when thinking of Tolkien. However, the author constructed a deep and complex lore for Middle-earth and wrote dozens of stories that spanned thousands of years across his meticulous timeline. Though these were released years after Tolkien's death, many were set centuries before Frodo's story.

The Lord of the Rings franchise has seen a resurgence in film and TV of late; here is every project coming out of Middle-earth in the near future.

How To Read J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings Books In Chronological Order

Tolkien's middle-earth stories in order from creation to the end of the third age.

Those looking to read all the Lord of the Rings books in chronological order will have to begin with the universe's creation. Tolkien's The Silmarillion outlines the birth of time and space, with everything brought into being by a supreme god called Eru Ilúvatar. From here, the posthumously published book describes the creation of the Ainur—the Valar and Maiar—who assisted Eru in creating Arda (the World). The Silmarillion carries on into the years before Elves and Men wake in Middle-earth , their eventual rise, and the destruction caused by the Dark Lord Morgoth.

Morgoth's defeat marks the end of The Silmarillion and the end of the First Age of Middle-earth. Many of the next books in the chronology tell stories that are also included in the Silmarillion , though there are some differences in how certain events play out. Unfinished Tales Of Numenor & Middle-Earth also outlines the creation of the universe, but rather than ending with the First Age, it continues all the way to the destruction of the One Ring. Though this takes us to the end of the chronology, its First Age stories place it earlier in the lineup.

From here, three individual novels (all posthumously published) go more in-depth into First Age stories discussed in The Silmarillion . Beren and Lúthien is Tolkien's most famous love story set in the First Age (464 - 503). T he Children Of Húrin follows the tragic story of Húrin's cursed descendants and is set around the same time as Beren and Lúthien . The Fall of Gondolin tells the story of the Secret City , which was destroyed by Morgoth's forces after its location was betrayed. In canon, Gondolin was destroyed in SA 510, so the book is set shortly after the previous two novels.

The Fall Of Númenor is the only Tolkien novel set in the Second Age of Middle-earth. It tells of the downfall of the island kingdom of Númenor , an event depicted in Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power . Finally, the last four books in Tolkien's chronology are The Hobbit and the three Lord of the Rings , set at the end of Middle-earth's Third Age.

The Lord of the Rings were initially published as six books but were later republished as three.

How To Read J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings Books In Release Order

Tolkien's middle-earth books weren't released in chronological order.

The release dates of Tolkien's works differ significantly from the chronology. The author originally published The Hobbit as a stand-alone novel in 1937, and it wasn't until many years later that he decided to expand the story with the Lord of the Rings books . These were the only Middle-earth novels to be published before Tolkien died in 1973, but he had written innumerable notes and stories about his fictional world, which were collected and published by his son, Christopher Tolkien, in the following years.

Ultimately, there's no wrong way to enjoy Tolkien's life's work, so long as the magic is thoroughly savored and enjoyed.

The Lord of the Rings is a rare case in which the release-year order may be preferred to the chronological one . The Silmarillion is written more like a textbook than a novel, and it is far easier to read with the context of The Lord of the Rings to build upon. However, since the stories of Beren and Lúthien and The Fall of Gondolin are mentioned in the Lord of the Rings books, there may be some value in reading these stories first. Ultimately, there's no wrong way to enjoy Tolkien's life's work, so long as the magic is thoroughly savored and enjoyed.

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

The site was put together to act as a companion piece to a book called J.R.R. Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography by Wayne G. Hammond. This is a veritable mine of useful information for the Tolkien collector - if you don’t own a copy, find one! Bibliography entries include page references to the bok. The site also includes a few items that were unknown to Wayne, and points out a small number of possible errors and misinterpretations.

Obviously, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings sections are the largest areas of the bibliography, but there is a lot more to see - try the 1938-1953 section - it includes Farmer Giles of Ham as well as some pretty obscure and hard to find academic publications - or the Boxed and Slipcased Sets section. There are also some very interesting items in the 1910-1937 section, ranging from his early poetry to some of his most important work on Old and Middle English. Each section is split into subsections, which appear as galleries of thumbnail images.

Click on a thumbnail to see a larger image, details of the edition and any reprints.

Books are presented in order of the year of first issue and are grouped together with later printings and editions following on from the first edition. There is one image for most books, and articles are being added to fully illustrate the more important and hard to find editions. Bibliography entries give details of the edition, year of publication, publisher, format and ISBN (if applicable), together with details of any illustrations, later reprints and other handy snippets of information.

As a general rule only British editions are listed, unless there isn’t one of course! Where there is only a ‘foreign’ edition, it will be listed together with any other significant reprints and variants. For a few of the older items, that are particularly difficult to find, some non-British appearances are also listed. Devon Press, a fellow collector, has compiled an excellent guide to American editions at TolkienBooks.US .

How to Read The Lord of the Rings In Order

Now that Rings of Power has ended, it's time to do your homework.

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If you haven’t read the series, how I envy you! Newcomers are in for an unforgettable reading experience. You’ll always remember the first time you encountered these moving, masterfully imagined epics about the struggle between good and evil, the delicate balance of death and immortality, and the addictive danger of power. But The Lord of the Rings is just the tip of the iceberg; Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium encompasses thousands of years and dozens of other works, meaning that if you dive in, it may be quite a long time before you make it there and back again.

What’s the best path for reading your way through, you ask? It’s a simple question, but one bound to rile up Tolkien fans, who love and study the author’s works with serious devotion. I know because I’m one of them. Yes, dear reader, you caught me—I’ve been a Tolkienite since age eight, when I got my hands on The Hobbit and it changed my little brain forever. I grew up in Tolkien’s wide, wild world in the way that other members of my generation grew up in Narnia or Hogwarts; these books are an enduring part of my heart and identity, and they can be for you, too.

Below, I’ve charted a choose your own adventure course through the lore, with exit points for the casual reader and bonus material for the newly converted Tolkienite. Additionally, for anyone looking to do their homework about the Rings of Power lore , I've flagged the books that will enrich your viewing of the series. What kind of Tolkien reader will you be? Time to start reading and find out. (And once you've finished, check out our maps to Dune , Game of Thrones , and The Wheel of Time next.)

Mariner Books The Hobbit

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” With this immortal line, the journey through Middle-earth begins. We recommend starting your adventure with The Hobbit , Tolkien’s first published foray into Middle-earth, before moving onto The Lord of the Rings proper. The Hobbit is a rollicking good read, and a superb place to get your feet wet. This is the tale of Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, homebody hobbit (a race of short, furry-footed people who live in underground homes). When an itinerant wizard and a company of dwarves come knocking, Bilbo is swept into their expedition to the Lonely Mountain, where the dwarves intend to recapture their people’s vast treasure from the dangerous dragon Smaug. The treacherous journey awakens Bilbo’s thirst for adventure, places him in a host of thrillingly sticky situations, and sends him packing with a mysterious magical ring…

Mariner Books The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings begins in earnest with The Fellowship of the Ring . When Bilbo Baggins suddenly disappears from his 111th birthday party, his beloved ring falls into the hands of his young heir, Frodo Baggins. The wizard Gandalf confirms that this is the One Ring, lost by the Dark Lord Sauron long ago, and urges Frodo to spirit it to the elven stronghold of Rivendell. In Rivendell, the Fellowship of the Ring assembles: nine walkers of different races, banded together on a quest to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mordor, thus saving the world from an ancient, cosmic evil. The perilous journey across mountains, forests, and rivers tests them, endangers them, and ultimately divides them.

Mariner Books The Two Towers

The saga continues in The Two Towers , which sees the members of the Fellowship scattered to the winds. Following their capture by bloodthirsty orcs, Merry and Pippin disappear into foreboding Fangorn Forest, where they take up with sentient trees; meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli reconnect with a changed Gandalf, then come to the aid of Rohan’s struggling people. Frodo and Sam, en route to Mordor, form an uneasy alliance with the wretched creature Gollum, who guides them to their destination while plotting to steal the ring. As this installment ends, the shadow of Sauron grows across the lands, while armies everywhere steel themselves for a climactic battle.

Mariner Books The Return of the King

The trilogy concludes thrillingly with The Return of the King . As Frodo falls dangerously under the sway of the ring’s dark magic during the hazardous journey through Mordor, Aragorn and his forces stage a last stand at the Black Gate of Mordor, and Frodo makes a seismic sacrifice to destroy the ring once and for all. Ultimately, Aragorn steps into his destiny as King of Gondor and peace reigns, but readers coming to the series from the films will be disarmed by the hobbits’ homecoming. Still in thrall to the evil Saruman, the Shire needs a champion, forcing the hobbits to mount a rebellion in the fateful Scouring of the Shire. Frodo, beleaguered by the physical and psychological toll of the ring, passes into the Undying Lands to find peace, and harmony settles over Middle-earth.

If you're getting into Tolkien after Rings of Power , you'll want to start your coursework at the back of The Return of the King with the appendices, where Tolkien provides a chronology of the Second and Third Ages. Rings of Power dramatizes the Second Age, which includes such memorable episodes as the rise and fall of Númenor, as well as The Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Per the terms of their deal with the Tolkien estate, Amazon only owns the on-screen rights to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit , and the appendices, so pay close attention as you work your way through—you'll likely remember a lot of this action from the small screen.

Mariner Books The Silmarillion

As epic as The Lord of the Rings may feel, the series spans just a fraction of Middle-earth’s history. In The Silmarillion , his mythopoetic masterpiece, Tolkien takes us back to the dawn of time, unspooling legends like the creation of the universe, the awakening of the elves, and the rise of Middle-earth’s greatest villains. For fans of the Peter Jackson films, a shred of this material will seem familiar, as Galadriel’s Fellowship of the Ring prologue recounts some of these stories (like the forging of the Rings of Power). Dense with lore and lusciously imagined, The Silmarillion isn’t for the faint of heart, but it rewards devoted study, shading in the millennia of history behind the core legendarium of Middle-earth. Amazon's deal with the Tolkien estate doesn't encompass the rights to The Silmarillion , so Rings of Power doesn't tread here, but it's still well worth your time, as your enjoyment of Second Age stories will no doubt be enriched by their First Age context.

Mariner Books Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth

Here’s where the rubber meets the road. If you’re confident you've been brought up to speed on Middle-earth by now, feel free to exit through the gift shop. If you’re hooked on Tolkien and eager to keep exploring, come sit by me . Unfinished Tales consists of stories and essays Tolkien failed to complete in his lifetime, stitched together in a more coherent form by Christopher Tolkien, the author’s son and literary executor. Some of these stories recount events from The Silmarillion , while others expand our knowledge of Middle-earth with additional context, like a deep dive into the origins of wizards or a more detailed narrative of how Isildur lost the One Ring. Unfinished Tales is another valuable resource for students of Rings of Power , as “A Description of the Island of Númenor” comes in handy when the show sets up shop in that fateful location.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt The Children of Húrin

The first of three standalone “great tales” set in Middle-earth’s First Age, The Children of Húrin is—you guessed it—another unfinished manuscript salvaged by Christopher Tolkien. Long before the One Ring was forged, a great warrior named Húrin dared to defy Morgoth, the Lucifer-esque fallen god who terrorized Middle Earth in its early millennia (and later trained a fearsome lieutenant in Sauron). As punishment for his defiance, Húrin was immobilized on a mountaintop, where he paid the ultimate price: day in and day out, Morgoth forced him to watch the evils visited upon his children, culminating in their death and disappearance, as well as some downright Oedipal tragedy. The Children of Húrin is heavy, by Tolkien’s standards, but like other auxiliary tales, it rounds out The Silmarillion with lush additional detail.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Beren and Lúthien

Tolkien, you ol' softie. The second of the great tales is the tragic romance of Beren, a mortal man, and Lúthien, an immortal elf maiden. In order to win Lúthien's hand in marriage from her disapproving father, Beren set to the monumental task of robbing Morgoth of a Silmaril (three prized jewels of the elves, containing divine light). Together the couple achieved the task, but Beren died immediately after, inspiring such grief in Lúthien that she too laid down and died. In the halls of the gods, Lúthien shared an elegiac song with the god of death. Moved by her lamentation, he restored the couple to life, on the condition that they would both die a mortal death. This romantic fable is a foundational myth of The Silmarillion , as well as a deliberate mirroring of the romance between Aragorn and Arwen—herself a descendent of Lúthien, who, like her ancestor, would marry a mortal man, choosing “both the sweet and the bitter." If you read only one of the great tales, make it this one.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt The Fall of Gondolin

In the third and final volume of the great tales, Tolkien sets his sights on Gondolin, a secret elven utopia betrayed and destroyed during the First Age. When Gondolin’s location was betrayed to Morgoth, the vengeful god sent an army of orcs, balrogs, and dragons to siege the city. Gondolin’s epic fall calls to mind the sack of Troy, and makes for riveting reading. Survivors of the disaster would become ancestors of both Elrond and Aragorn. The Fall of Gondolin isn’t required reading, but for Tolkien fans who particularly love his elvish lore, it’s a slam dunk.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt The History of Middle-earth

After Unfinished Tales was published to great critical and commercial interest, Christopher Tolkien kept exploring his father’s archive. He anthologized his findings into The History of Middle-earth, a downright massive twelve-volume series containing Tolkien’s vast droves of auxiliary lore, from stories to poems to song cycles. Some of these volumes expand The Lord of the Rings , while others expand The Silmarillion . None are earth-shattering, but for the Tolkien completionist, they’re a welcome journey back into Middle-earth, and an opportunity to consider familiar events from a fresh perspective.

The Fall of Númenor: And Other Tales From the Second Age

The Tolkien machine keeps on trucking with this new volume of Second Age tales, due out in November. Is it any coincidence that this book should hit shelves right as Amazon brings this era of Middle-earth to the small screen? Surely it's not, but there's no such thing as too much Tolkien. The author famously described the Second Age as "a dark age, and not very much of its history is (or need be) told," but clearly, there was more story than first met the eye. Stitched into one comprehensive volume by editor Brian Sibley, along with new illustrations by frequent Tolkien flyer Alan Lee, this book will be an invaluable resource for fans eager to dig deep on Rings of Power .

Bodleian Library, University of Oxford Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth

If you’ve made it this far and you still can’t get enough Tolkien, add Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth to your coffee table rotation. This hefty tome explores the visual dimensions of Tolkien’s oeuvre: illustrations, maps, letters, and manuscripts, all of it paired with essays tracing the mythological influences behind Tolkien’s monumental creative endeavors. It’s an excellent supplement to the books you know and love, as well as a sumptuous collector’s item any Tolkien fan would cherish.

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Arts & Culture | October 2022

How J.R.R. Tolkien Came to Write the Stories of ‘The Rings of Power’

Haunted by the approach of another world war, the beloved fantasy author created a new story of Middle-earth that few people even knew about—until now

The Radcliffe Camera, part of Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Tolkien once had a vision of this structure as a temple to Morgoth, the villain of Middle-earth.

By John Garth

Photographs by Kieran Dodds

No writer in the English language has ever created a more complete world than John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. Middle-earth, where his famous stories take place, was meant to be a version of our own world in a forgotten past. Tolkien mapped out elaborate geographies and built richly detailed civilizations. Every work of fantasy that came later, from the Harry Potter novels and Star Wars movies to games like Dungeons and Dragons, owes a great debt to Tolkien’s astonishing imagination and pays homage to it.

Tolkien even invented languages for his elves and other characters to speak, drawing on elements of Northern European tongues such as Finnish and Welsh. In his day job, he was an Oxford professor, an esteemed scholar in Anglo-Saxon and related languages and cultures. And yet his lifeblood went into the books that have since almost eclipsed his academic reputation.

He began dreaming up Middle-earth in 1914 as an Oxford undergraduate at the outbreak of World War I, in which he went on to fight as a British Army officer at the Battle of the Somme. He created the mythology to express his “feeling about good, evil, fair, foul,” he said. In 1937, he published the adventure story The Hobbit , and in the 1950s, the epic three-volume The Lord of the Rings .  The books enchanted some readers—as Tolkien’s fellow writer C.S. Lewis put it, “Here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron.” Others found the books baffling or, as the literary critic Edmund Wilson put it, “juvenile.” By the end of Tolkien’s life, his books were becoming more widely respected for their literary merits and wide-ranging influence. The stories reached a new generation and an even wider audience in 2001, when the director Peter Jackson launched the first installment of his Lord of the Rings movie trilogy . It’s still one of the highest-grossing film series of all time, with nearly $3 billion in revenue worldwide. Its final installment alone earned 11 Academy Awards, matching the records set by Ben-Hur and Titanic .

Both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place in what Tolkien called the Third Age of Middle-earth, a time when the elves are growing increasingly remote, humans are increasingly dominant, and hobbits—rustic, half-sized humans—emerge as unlikely heroes. Immortal elves such as Galadriel can recall the First and Second Ages, thousands of years in the past, but the full story remained incomplete during Tolkien’s lifetime.

When he died in 1973, Tolkien left behind a mass of papers. His son Christopher compiled and edited his father’s First and Second Age writings as The Silmarillion as well as a magisterial 12-volume History of Middle-earth , showing how Tolkien crafted his world across six decades. Though The Silmarillion is a coherent whole, it is undeniably complex and austere. It takes considerable devotion to read the History of Middle-earth , filled with unfolding variations of tales that were often tantalizingly unfinished.

One Second Age story came out of what Tolkien called his “Atlantis complex.” For as long as he could remember, he had suffered a recurring nightmare of a great wave rolling over green fields. He would awake as if out of deep water, gasping for air. In Quenya, one of the elf languages Tolkien had invented in his youth, the root -lant meant “fall.” In 1936, he built on this root, turning it into a verb— atalantië —which meant “slipping, sliding, falling down.” Suddenly, it struck him that the word he’d just coined sounded like Atlantis, the name of the doomed ocean nation described in Plato’s dialogues. Tolkien’s linguistic notes from 1936 show the eureka moment. He scribbled down an erupting plot idea about an island called Númenor that was drowned by the sea. He hurled the first, brief version of this story, “The Fall of Númenor,” onto paper so fast that Christopher later had trouble deciphering it.

The tale of Númenor begins after the First Age. The primal evil power, Morgoth, has been vanquished by elves and mortal humans with divine aid from the Valar, the angelic guardians of the world. The Valar reward the mortal allies with a new home, the island demi-paradise of Númenor. As the Second Age dawns, the Númenóreans enjoy biblically long lives, with skills and crafts nurtured by the elves. But every Eden has its forbidden fruit. The Númenóreans are barred from sailing west toward the rim of the flat earth, where elves live in Undying Lands alongside the Valar.

Envy of immortality begins to eat away at the mortals of Númenor. A schism leads to persecution of the elf-friends, those who are still true to the elves. Eventually, Númenor’s king comes under the insidious influence of Sauron, who had once been Morgoth’s second in command. At Sauron’s encouragement, the Númenóreans build a temple to Morgoth and launch an armada against the Undying Lands.

An act of God opens an ocean rift that engulfs the island. In the same stroke, the world, hitherto a flat disk, is refashioned as a globe, and the Undying Lands are removed to a mystic dimension of their own. The few remaining elf-friends sail on the wings of storm to mainland Middle-earth to begin life—and the war against Sauron—anew. Flashback revelations in The Lord of the Rings pick up the story from here.

Right now, Tolkien’s lost Second Age history is finally reaching a wider audience. Amazon Studios is launching a multi-season series called The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power with a budget of more than $1 billion, hoping to reignite the enthusiastic response to The Lord of the Rings movies. Meanwhile, a book, The Fall of Númenor , to be published in November, will gather all of Tolkien’s writings about the Second Age into one volume.

To recreate Tolkien’s lost island, the show’s creators, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, gathered inspiration from real-world historical cultures. Tolkien himself used a similar approach—for instance, the rural village where The Hobbit begins resembles the author’s childhood village as it was in 1897. In The Lord of the Rings series, the hobbits journey to Rohan, a kingdom that feels more remote, with a language and a royal hall evocative of Anglo-Saxon England, and then onto the kingdom of Gondor, which owes something to Rome or Byzantium.

Amazon’s Payne and McKay drew on some of these same civilizations, as well as on Moroccan, Babylonian and Indian sources. “Our hope is that it comes together in something that feels real and discovered,” McKay said in an email, “but also like something you’ve never seen before; in short, our hope is that it feels like Middle-earth.”

One does not have to spot the allusions in order to feel the power of these stories. Nor should we imagine that Tolkien built his worlds from a rigid system of references. The author fused his inspirations into an alloy that he could shape freely. He also generated multiple stories from a single inspiration. What he called his “feigned history” lives on its own terms. But by pinpointing his sources, we can learn more about what moved the 20th century’s most influential world-builder. What were Tolkien’s immediate inspirations for the Second Age of Middle-earth?

I had my own eureka moment when I noticed an unobtrusive comment by Tolkien that the Númenor idea had come while he was writing the jacket blurb for the forthcoming Hobbit . Other evidence shows he wrote that blurb between December 5 and 8, 1936. Describing the book’s setting for prospective readers, Tolkien wrote, “The period is the ancient time between the age of Faerie and the dominion of men.” The Númenor story would bridge those two epochs, explaining what happened between the defeat of mighty Morgoth in The Silmarillion and the rise of little Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit .

The Fall of Númenor: And Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle-earth

This practical need, however, explains neither the Númenor story’s eruptive birth nor its sheer anguish and rage at human folly. The end of 1936 does.

The year 1936 was, as one British newspaper put it, “desperately charged with fate...which seemed to bring catastrophe near.” The 1918 Armistice had brought no idyll, yet at least there had been a chance to heal the hurts of war. But now Mussolini’s fascist Italy had bombed and gassed Ethiopia into subjection. Hitler’s troops had reoccupied the demilitarized German Rhineland. Stalin’s Soviet purges had begun. Spain had exploded into a civil war that split opinion internationally and seemed bound to result in dictatorship by left or right.

Even Britain was riven with unrest. Ominously, on November 30, the Crystal Palace, a vast glass structure built as a showcase for Victorian optimism and imperial splendor, had gone up in flames. Over the next two days, the east coast suffered heavy storms and severe flooding. Then, on December 3, newspapers confirmed a long-suppressed rumor that the new king, Edward VIII, wanted to change the royal marriage rules so he could marry a divorcée, the American Wallis Simpson.

The abdication crisis was transfixing the nation during the week Tolkien was writing the Hobbit blurb. On December 10, Edward surrendered the crown to his brother, George VI. The change in socially hidebound Britain was seismic. As Virginia Woolf declared, “Things­—empires—hierarchies—moralities—will never be the same again.”

Tolkien’s Catholicism surely colored his view of Edward. The leading British Catholic journal The Tablet pointed out that the last king to seek to alter the royal rules relating to divorce had been Henry VIII. Henry’s dire solution had been to sever England from the Roman church, create a new Church of England with himself at its head, and treat Catholics as enemies of the state.

There are striking parallels between Henry VIII and Númenor’s king, Tar-Calion (better known to Tolkien fans under a name coined later, Ar-Pharazôn). In Tolkien’s story “The Lost Road,” Tar-Calion decrees himself “Lord of the West.” But only the chief of the Valar—God’s archangelic representative in the mortal world—is supposed to bear that title. It is the Middle-earth equivalent of Henry claiming to be head of the church in place of the pope.

Did Tudor England truly interest Tolkien, a dyed-in-the-wool medievalist? Yes, it did—and at this very point in his life. In 1935 he had read, twice in quick succession, a biography of the Renaissance humanist Thomas More, written by his friend R.W. Chambers. More, a counselor to Henry VIII, and lord chancellor for three years from 1529, had refused to recognize the new Church of England or Henry as its leader. More was beheaded for high treason in 1535 and canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1935. Although Chambers himself wasn’t Catholic, he argued that English Catholicism had been expunged by a cynical tyrant to enrich and empower himself, and that much that had been good about the Middle Ages was thereby forever lost.

Tolkien told Chambers that his biography was “overwhelmingly moving: one of the great sagas.” Among various subtle signs of More’s impact on the Hobbit author, around this time Tolkien used the pen name “Oxymore,” which is (besides other things) a portmanteau of “Oxford” and “More.”

More’s seminal 1516 treatise, Utopia , described an ideal island society, and Númenor itself starts out as an island utopia. Knowing More’s impact on Tolkien, we can also see that he is a likely inspiration for the father of the Númenórean hero Elendil. In “The Lost Road,” Elendil’s father mirrors More’s acutely difficult position as friend and counselor to an apostate king. Like his father, Elendil (whose name means “Elf-friend”) is one of the faithful Númenóreans who still revere the angelic Valar in the west and the one God who is above all. He clearly sees the evils brought by Sauron while others see only progress.

In Tudor times, the printing of vernacular Bibles dethroned Latin as the language of Christian faith. In Númenor, too, language is a battleground, with Quenya—which Tolkien called “Elf-latin”—being driven underground in favor of a human language.

Tolkien said he found the Thomas More biography “almost burningly topical” when he read it in the mid-1930s. The book did not need to spell out specific parallels to Nazi Germany. In the 1930s they were visible to all who had eyes. Chips Channon, an American-born member of the British Parliament, wrote in his diary that King Edward VIII was “going the dictator way, and is pro-German.” The week of the abdication crisis raised anxieties that a “King’s Party,” led by Winston Churchill (as yet a divisive figure) and supported by fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, would emerge and bring civil strife.

In Númenor, such events do come to pass. “The Lost Road” is a time-travel story in which, via dream, 20th-century observers witness Númenor’s fall. Tolkien’s anger feels live and burning. Christopher Tolkien later said, “When at this time my father reached back to the world of the first man to bear the name ‘Elf-friend’ he found there an image of what he most condemned and feared in his own.”

Elendil catalogs the rabid construction of arms and warships, whispered denunciations, disappearances, torture behind closed doors. He blames Númenor’s evils squarely on Sauron. In The Silmarillion , Sauron had been a shape-shifting lord of werewolves, quite different from the sinister manipulator who emerges in “The Lost Road.” Even some of the details are reminiscent of Hitler’s policies. In a mirror-image of Nazi demands for Lebensraum (living space), Sauron’s acolytes in Númenor want “to conquer new realms for our race, and ease the pressure of this peopled island.”

Later, Tolkien would declare a “burning private grudge...against that ruddy little ignoramus Hitler” who had hijacked Tolkien’s beloved Northern European mythology for propaganda purposes. Likewise, Sauron twists the story of why Númenor’s national forefather, Eärendil, sailed to the Undying Lands at the end of the First Age: Eärendil had actually made the journey to beg the Valar’s aid against Morgoth, but in Sauron’s revisionist version, he’d gone to seize unending life for himself. The colossal temple to Morgoth even strikingly parallels the plans laid by Hitler’s architect, Albert Speer, for a Volkshalle (people’s hall).

By 1936, Tolkien was well acquainted with tragedy. After his mother died when he was 12, Tolkien had felt “like a lost survivor into a new alien world after the real world has passed away.” He felt the same in 1935 on the death of his guardian, Father Francis Morgan, the man he called his “second father.”

When the news of the abdication broke on December 3, 1936, it had been 20 years to the day since Tolkien’s friend Geoffrey Bache Smith died in France, the keenest of many griefs from the Great War. Now, Tolkien’s son Christopher had just turned 12, Michael was 16, and John 19. When Tolkien himself had been that age, the Great War had been just three years ahead—and the omens now were far worse.

Tolkien abandoned “The Lost Road” in 1937 when The Hobbit ’s publishers demanded the sequel that eventually became The Lord of the Rings . But Tolkien returned to work on Númenor just after the Second World War. A new story—also sadly unfinished—involved a clique of Oxford dons very much like the Inklings, a group of literary friends Tolkien shared with C.S. Lewis. Memorably, one of Tolkien’s fictional 20th-century academics has a vision of the Radcliffe Camera—part of Oxford’s great Bodleian Library—as the temple of Morgoth, with the smoke of human sacrifice pouring from its louvers. The enemy is now at the heart of the realm: The story reads like an aftertaste of the invasion fear that Britons had endured in the intervening years.

Meanwhile, Tolkien continued developing the vast history of his fictional world. After Númenor’s destruction, Elendil leads the faithful to safety and establishes, with his sons, the twin kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor. From a high hilltop tower—surely inspired by one at Faringdon near Oxford built in 1935—he gazes out over the seas toward the lost world that had been Númenor. In the Third Age, Aragorn, the hobbits’ wandering companion and king-to-be (played by Viggo Mortensen in the films), will be Elendil’s direct descendant and heir.

Looking at the evidence, it is clear that Hitler and other 1930s despots were very relevant to Tolkien’s Númenor stories and his all-important equation of Sauron with tyranny. Yet Tolkien officially denied that The Lord of the Rings was an allegorical code for the Second World War. How do we square this circle?

In the foreword to the 1966 edition of The Fellowship of the Ring , the first book in the trilogy, Tolkien wrote, “I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history, true or feigned, with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse ‘applicability’ with ‘allegory’; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.”

In other words, in this book about tyranny, Tolkien was loath to act like a dictator by telling his readers what to think. He built his world out of the worlds he knew. But he would have hoped that in future times, with other dictators, his work should continue to feel relevant.

In this, he has succeeded. As Amazon Studios’ senior development executive Kevin Jarzynski says, Tolkien’s work is not “about one specific moment in time but a repetition of history. There are some lessons that we as a people are always trying to learn about power, about temptation, time and time again.” The key message of Númenor, as timely now as ever, is that the lust for power leads to wholly avoidable disaster.

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John Garth | READ MORE

John Garth is the author of Tolkien and the Great War and The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien . He lives in Hampshire, England.

Kieran Dodds | READ MORE

Kieran Dodds, a photographer based in Scotland, shot the photographs for this piece during the pandemic lockdown. His book on redheads around the world, Gingers , is available starting November 2020.