By James Wray Jul 24, 2004, 9:54 GMT
What with the final film getting its extended dvd release and it being the 50th anniversary of publication in the US, writers have been busy.
Here is an overview of the Tolkien books to look forward to, including some reprints of Tolkien's own work and some special editions. All release dates are for North America only, a future article wil cover releases by Harper Collins, the UK publisher for Tolkien's work.
No cover art or excerpts are currently available, but we will be sure to update in the news when they are.
Defending Middle-earth
By Patrick Curry
Paperback; 208 pagesPublication Date: 10/21/2004
Patrick Curry asks, What are millions of readers all over the world getting out of reading The Lord of the Rings? and argues, in part, that Tolkien has found a way to provide something close to Spirit in a secular age.
His focus in Defending Middle-earth is on three main aspects of Tolkien’s fiction: the social and political structure of Middle-earth and how the varying cultures find common cause in the face of a shared threat; the nature and ecology of Middle-earth and how what we think of as the natural world joins the battle against mindless, mechanized destruction; and a particularly insightful examination of the spirituality and ethics of Middle-earth.
Our database details on this book are here.
The Best of the Art of The Lord of the Ringsby: Gary Russell
Paperback; 224 pagesPublication Date: 11/15/2004Illustrations: Full color throughoutA 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.
Letters From Father Christmasby: J.R.R. Tolkien
Paperback; 112 pagesPublication Date: 11/15/2004Illustrations: Full color throughout 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 a strange, spidery handwriting and a beautiful colored drawing or painting.
The letters were from Father Christmas. They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place; how the accident-prone North 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, and many more.
No reader, young or old, can fail to be charmed by Tolkien’s inventiveness in this classic holiday treat.
The Lord of the Rings: 50th Anniversary Editionby: J.R.R. Tolkien
Boxed Set; 1216 pagesPublication Date: 10/21/2004Illustrations: Maps, line drawingsThe Fellowship of the Ring, part one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, first reached these shores on October 21, 1954, arriving, as C. S. Lewis proclaimed, “like lightning from a clear sky.”
Fifty years and nearly one hundred million American readers later comes a beautiful new one-volume collector’s edition befitting the stature of this crown jewel of our list.
With a text fully corrected under the supervision of Christopher Tolkien to meet the author’s exacting wishes and two large-format fold-out maps, a ribbon placemarker, and exceptionally elegant packaging, this edition is one of the finest we’ve ever produced.
The Lord of the Rings: The Complete Visual Companionby: Jude Fisher
Paperback; 224 pagesPublication Date: 11/15/2004Illustrations: Full color throughout The Lord of the Rings: The Complete Visual Companion by Jude Fisher is the ultimate book for the millions of fans of these spectacularly successful films, with full-color screenshots and photography throughout.
It includes all the best images from all three films — many never previously published — as well as a visual reference to the characters and places in Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth. From Bag End to Mount Doom and back again, this essential record of the epic film journey will delight all those who have taken the adventures of Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf to heart.
J.R.R. Tolkien: Interviews, Reminiscences, and Other Essaysby: Douglas A. Anderson; Marjorie J. Burns
Hardcover; 224 pagesPublication Date: 10/21/2004 Compiled by noted Tolkien scholars Douglas A. Anderson and Marjorie J. Burns, this book provides an invaluable insight into Tolkien’s thought through interviews, personal reminiscences, and remembrances collected nowhere else.
Tolkien gave some twenty interviews in his lifetime. In this collection is the unedited transcript of an interview for the BBC, giving the only surviving impression of what it was like to converse with Tolkien. Firsthand impressions ranging from those of the lexicographer of the Oxford English Dictionary to those of friends such as Robert Murray, Norman Power, Donald Swann, the science fiction writer, L. Sprague de Camp, and Tolkien’s eldest son, Michael, the reminiscences are lively and loving testimonials.
Most of the essays here were written by people who knew Tolkien and explore other aspects of his life: Christopher Tolkien on the making of The Silmarillion, Priscilla Tolkien on his art, Rayner Unwin on publishing Tolkien, and more.
The Silmarillion: Second Edition by: J.R.R. Tolkien; Christopher Tolkien (Edited by); Ted Nasmith (Illustrated by)
Hardcover; 400 pagesPublication Date: 11/15/2004Illustrations: 48 color plates throughout This revised and expanded volume tells the oldest tales of Middle-earth: of its creation, of the ancient histories of the Elves, and of the coming of Men into the world. It also chronicles the early battles between good and evil which foreshadow the great conflict in The Lord of the Rings.
Tolkien worked on The Silmarillion — published posthumously in 1977 to international acclaim — for most of his life, beginning long before The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. With Christopher Tolkien’s close collaboration, The Silmarillion has now been completely reset, using the Second Edition text.
Acclaimed artist Ted Nasmith has been commissioned to provide twenty-six breathtaking new paintings for this edition, bringing the total of full-color paintings to forty-eight, making this new illustrated edition of The Silmarillion the most sumptuous and desirable ever published.
So quite a bundle for Tolkien fans. As mentioned some are just new editions but others look to be interesting new books. We will review them when we get them.
If you know of any other Tolkien related books up for release over the next six month be sure to let us know. Just contact the books department via or contact form.
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