Amazon.com
The publishing world is full of Tolkien spinoff products, some trivial and ephemeral--but some, like this thoroughly researched atlas, are genuinely classy. Karen Wynn Fonstad is a qualified geographer and cartographer who first mapped Middle-Earth in 1981 and has since added much new detail based on those endless volumes of drafts, abandoned passages, alternative versions, and laundry lists published since Tolkien's death. She fills in gaps and details in the familiar Third Age maps from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, goes back in time to map Middle-Earth's First and Second Ages, and reconstructs the route and timescale of every important journey in the stories. There are local maps of key places like the Mines of Moria, Lothlorien, Isengard, Minas Tirth, the Tower of Cirith Ungol, and the volcanic Mount Doom. War maps cover the saga's notable battles, up to the hopeless last stand at Mordor gate and the tiny later skirmish known in Shire records as the Battle of Bywater. Thematic maps show Middle-Earth's distribution of climate, geological features, vegetation, people, and (most importantly to Tolkien) languages.... It's all done tremendously seriously and would make a fine gift for enthusiastic Tolkien fans, except that they'll have bought it already. --David Langford, Amazon.co.uk
Book Description
Karen Wynn Fonstad's THE ATLAS OF MIDDLE-EARTH is an essential volume that will enchant all Tolkien fans. Here is the definitive guide to the geography of Middle-earth, from its founding in the Elder Days through the Third Age, including the journeys of Bilbo, Frodo, and the Fellowship of the Ring. Authentic and updated -- nearly one third of the maps are new, and the text is fully revised -- the atlas illuminates the enchanted world created in THE SILMARILLION, THE HOBBIT, and THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Hundreds of two-color maps and diagrams survey the journeys of the principal characters day by day -- including all the battles and key locations of the First, Second, and Third Ages. Plans and descriptions of castles, buildings, and distinctive landforms are given, along with thematic maps describing the climate, vegetation, languages, and population distribution of Middle-earth throughout its history. An extensive appendix and an index help readers correlate the maps with Tolkien's novels.
Customer Reviews:
Very interesting.......2007-06-02
This book was required for a college class; however, I have greatly enjoyed it and find this book is a great read on its own. If you are a fan of such books as "The Hobbit," you will greatly enjoy this book. It's a wonderful companion book for your other Middle-Earth reads and helps you to understand some pieces of the stories that you may have earlier ignored.
Middle-earth not received.......2007-05-22
The book did not arrive in my postbox surely because of old address.
Close, but no bananas.......2007-05-13
This atlas really helped me see where I was at as I read the Lord of the Rings. I could see how long it took to get from one place to another and how long they were at a single place without having to look it up again.
The reason I only gave it four stars is because it was the work of a fan, and not the actual maps of J.R.R. Tolkien. I was kind of looking for that.
Other than that it was great :P
AMAZING book!!!.......2007-03-28
omg~for any tolkien fan out there, this is a must have! Especially for anyone who is fascinated with the maps already included in the Hobbit, LOTR, and the Silmarillion.
Extensive maps (all based on Tolkien's writings, maps, and illustrations) - for everything from the Spring of Arda and Valinor to the Battle of Helm's Deep. There are maps following everystep of LOTR and the Hobbit - plus a large section on Beleriand and the 1st age~which makes it an indespensible companion to the Silmarillion.
There are a few grey areas here and there - there are bound to be in a world so complex as Tolkien's - which leaves some things to the interpretation and imagination of the reader. I think that's good. (Dr?) Fonstad is wise to leave out those things that are truly dubious, but is intuitive and brilliant in the way she interprets the world of Tolkien. She points out the process she used to come to the conclusions that in the book, which is very helpful.
All in all-this gets 5 1/2 stars-you gotta get this if you like any of Tolkien's works.
Perfect Gift for a Tolkin-ite.......2007-02-08
I specifically ordered this book for a friend of mine who is REALLY in not only Lord of the Rings but everything that has to do with that series. He can talk small pieces of information like a skilled essayist and will deftly argue minutae (sp?) with cliff notes as it were to back it up.
When I found out he lost this book in a house fire, I knew he'd appreciate it back. He was.
Hope that helps...spelling/grammar not with standing.
Average customer rating:
- A unique contribution . . .
- Important Linguistic Text and Map, Numenor Story
- if you read the first four in the "history", then set your expectations higher than the last book
- Beware
- Good for the Tolkien Enthusiast
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The Lost Road and Other Writings (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 5)
J.R.R. Tolkien
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
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Similar Items:
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The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 2)
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Treason of Isengard: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Two (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 7)
ASIN: 0395455197 |
Book Description
At the end of the 1937 J.R.R. Tolkien reluctantly set aside his now greatly elaborated work on the myths and heroic legends of Valinor and Middle-earth and began The Lord of the Rings. This fifth volume of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien, completes the presentation of the whole compass of his writing on those themes up to that time. Later forms of the Annuals of Valinor and the Annals of Berleriand had been composed, The Silmarillion was nearing completion in a greatly amplified version, and a new map had been made; the myth of the Music of the Ainur had become a separate work; and the legend of the Downfall of Numenor had already entered in a primitive form, introducing the cardinal ideas of the World Made Round and the Straight Path into the vanished West.
Closely associated with this was the abandoned time-travel story, The Lost Road, which was to link the world of Numenor and Middle-earth with the legends of many other times and peoples.
A long essay, The Lhammas, had been written on the ever more complex relations of the languages and dialects of Middle-earth; and an etymological dictionary had been undertaken, in which a great number of words and names in the Elvish languages were registered and their formation explained - thus providing by far the most extensive account of their vocabularies that has appeared.
Customer Reviews:
A unique contribution . . . .......2007-02-05
. . . to the continued "The History of Middle-Earth" series.
In "The Lost Road", Christopher Tolkien brings his father's mythology to the point where writing "The Lord of the Rings" became a priority. Later developments in "The Silmarillion" are published later in this series.
What makes "The Lost Road" unique is the connection between it and "Out of the Silent Planet" by CS Lewis. Tolkien and Lewis had agreed to write a pair of novels, with Tolkien exploring time travel, and Lewis exploring space travel. While Lewis completed "Out of the Silent Planet" (and two sequels), Tolkien never finished "The Lost Road". This volume gives us hints of what "might have been".
Again, thanks is due to Christopher for his labor of love, allowing the rest of us to delve more deeply into the lore of Middle-Earth.
Important Linguistic Text and Map, Numenor Story.......2007-01-21
`The Lost Road' is the fifth volume in Christopher Tolkien's editions of his father, J. R. R. Tolkien's unpublished works, dedicated mostly to the history of the three ages which preceded the events chronicled in `The Hobbit' and `The Lord of the Rings', which marked the end of the Third Age of Middle Earth. In some ways, `The Lost Road' represents a rise in the amount of `interesting' material, after the relatively dry material, especially the poetry in `The Lays of Beleriand' and `The Shaping of Middle Earth'.
This is especially true in that it wraps up the material on what I consider the most interesting events in the Middle Earth `prehistory', the story of Numenor and its fall, plus some excellent notes on the languages of Middle Earth.
We read here that the story of Numenor was, as it is probably obvious to most, a recreation of the Atlantis myth. It always struck me as odd that while Numenor was so obviously an echo of a Greek myth that the Numenorean names and language is so clearly patterned after Arabic. Note the prominence of the `Ar-` prefix, later changed to `Tar-`, so similar to the Arabic article, `Al-` seen in so many Spanish names such as the Alhambra and Alcatraz.
The story of Numenor began in an agreement with Tolkien's Oxford pal, C. S. Lewis for each to write a science fiction story. Lewis' result is his `Out of a Silent Planet' trilogy. Tolkien's effort became subsumed into his history of Middle Earth as the most important event in the First Age.
If you are an avid fan of Tolkien's linguistics, then this volume is a `must have', as it includes Tolkien's own dictionary of his various linguistic constructions. If your love of Tolkien lies more with the mythology, this book is slightly less interesting, as the central `The Lost Road' tale is actually a weak `time travel' story', since Lewis chose space travel as his theme, Tolkien was left with the other great Sci Fi theme.
Of course, if you must have every volume, you can feel satisfied that the next four volumes are probably the most interesting of all, as they represent early drafts of Tolkien's greatest work, `The Lord of the Rings'.
if you read the first four in the "history", then set your expectations higher than the last book.......2006-03-13
past reviewers keep saying these books are really hard. Now I graduated high school but have started college 3 different times and yet will have to start a 4th because certain parts of it are just too hard for me. I am actually kind of ashamed of myself because all of my friends are WAY ahead of me.
Sorry to get off topic up above there, and maybe it is my passion for these books after discovering the lord and the silmarillion, BUT THESE BOOKS ARE NOT DIFFICULT. You may have to be a big time geek like me to read every single word of this and to fully follow the evolution of these early writings. ANYBODY who was a fan of lotr, silmarillion and the first 4 of the "history", ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK.
The book is billed as having the lost road in it. While it does have it, it is certainly not one of tolkien's strongest works. Some info on sauron from a modern day point of view is nice to read.
The other low point of this book is the etymology stuff, but though I say a low point, there are no real low points in this book, just some parts that are lower than others. I have no desire to learn elvish languages, at least before I learn at least one other real one, but looking through the extremely short dictionarywas very interesting just for reading.
Honestly, this book did go a little bit over my head, but not too many people can actually write and speak elvish and other tolkien languages without first knowing finnish, old english, irish, etc., though the only part of the book that didn't make any sense to me, still ver neaty to look at.
Beware.......2005-05-16
If you loved The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, you may not enjoy this book. Although it provides valuable Numenorean historical information, it is comprised of unfinished stories. Tolkein's son Christopher has annotated passages, and he includes his notes at the end of each tale. This is sometimes helpful, sometimes not. He points out the obvious. A lot.
There are some fairly interesting tidbits in here, though. The book shows you exactly how Tolkein started writing about the history of mankind inheriting the world.
So, only read it if you're looking to learn about Numenor or how Tolkein thought up Middle Earth, otherwise, stick to The Silmarillion and Lost Tales.
Good for the Tolkien Enthusiast.......2004-02-03
If you're a Tolkien scholar, you already know how good this book is. It provides insight into the process of creating many important stories in the Silmarillion, most notably the Downfall of Numenor. Most critically, if you are studying Tolkien languages (Quenya or Sindarin = elvish), you need this book, which includes Etymologies, an important reference. I'm studying Quenya, so this is pretty much mandatory reading.
But if you're reading this review, you're probably a Tolkien fan just browsing. In that case, my message to you is this. Read Lord of the Rings. Then, read the Hobbit and the Silmarillion. If you love the Silmarillion, and want a sense of how it developed over the decades, then get The Lost Road. Otherwise, it will probably be too dry an academic for you.
Book Description
The Road to Middle-earth, Tom Shippey's classic work, now revised in paperback, explores J.R.R. Tolkien's creativity and the sources of his inspiration. Shippey shows in detail how Tolkien's professional background led him to write The Hobbit and how he created a timeless charm for millions of readers. Examining the foundation of Tolkien's most popular work, The Lord of the Rings, Shippey also discusses the contribution of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales to Tolkien's great myth cycle, showing how Tolkien's more "difficult" books can be fully appreciated. He goes on to examine the remarkable twelve-volume History of Middle-earth, written by Tolkien's son and literary heir Christopher Tolkien, which traces the creative and technical processes by which Middle-earth evolved.
Customer Reviews:
Time travel into the ancient human mind.......2007-07-29
Shippey walks the reader through Tolkien's lifelong fascination with and love and study of language, which is the golden thread of Tolkien's depiction of humankind through the mists of our earliest time on the planet.
A fine book about a great writer.......2004-07-04
Tom Shippey is a profound student of Tolkien with a deep love of middle-earth and a deep understanding of it and its origins.
Unlike so many academics, he is a fine writer. He has style, insight and erudition. Professor Shippey succeeded to Tolkien's chair at Oxford and he has the feeling of Tolkien's world in his bones. He knows Tolkien not only as a fantasist but also as a philologist and understands - and can explain in simple and lucid language - how Tolkien's studies of words influenced his creative work. He has also written interesting critiques of science-fiction.
This is a most valuable book that will contribute proufoundly to any reader's understanding and appreciation of Tolkien's greatness without - and this is very important! - destroying the magic.
I know Tolkien's work well and cannot fault this book.
Don't let the word "philology" deter you.......2004-05-30
This book is quite simply superb in every conceiveable respect. It is written by a scholar who understands and respects Tolkien's own scholarly passion for philology, the science and stories of the evolution of words and language. This is very different from the humanistic field of literary criticism, and Shippey explains at some length what a philologist can and cannot do. The close reader will end Shippey's book with a wistful feeling that some very wrong turns have been made in academia over the past one hundred years, and one of the reasons for Tolkien's greatness in his time was quite simply his refusal to accept or acknowledge that these wrong turns had been made. At bottom, a scholar of literature is, or at least ought to be, someone who loves words. We will always have a few of these people among us, and Tolkien's and Shippey's works remind us that no overgrown pathway is ever truly lost.
A very informative Study.......2004-01-20
Tom Shippey has an intimate knowledge of the mind and creative processes of the late Professor J.R.R. Tolkien, perhaps nearly as intimate a knowledge as Christopher Tolkien himself. The degree of the schism between language and literature professors of his day was most startling, and how that affected the early critics' appraisals of his masterpiece was also not what I had expected. Tom Shippey's knowledge of JRR Tolkien's mind is most revealing and is encyclopedic, and his ability to explain how deeply the master philologist would see legends and myths in the most ordinary of names and words left me thunderstruck. I have read all five of the main Middle Earth volumes several times and have read some of the Lost Tales, but I had not gained any insight from previous volumes saying how Pr. Tolkien created his world. The authors of those books seemed to lack legitimacy. Tom Shippey does not have that problem, and his book demonstrates that he is Pr. Tolkien's bona fide pupil and linguistic heir. Fans of Middle Earth should be thankful for Tom Shippey's insight, an insight that could only be bettered by Christopher Tolkien, or Pr. Tolkien himself.
The single best critical study on Tolkien.......2003-12-21
Shippey's "J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century" places Tolkien in the context of his time. "The Road to Middle-earth" has the more scholastically challenging job of placing Tolkien in the context of his tradition. As that tradition is primarily philological and philosophical, these are his subjects. He tells us what Tolkien meant the words and names in his stories to mean; he tells us how Tolkien used modern language to convey modern and ancient styles and philosophies in contrast; he tells us how the Ring mediates two mutually exclusive concepts of evil; he explains Tolkien's complex narrative strategies; he dresses down critics who misunderstand Tolkien and blame him for not fitting into their concepts of literature; and he does all this with such a blistering display of erudition and general intelligence that the reader sits back amazed.
The book is discursive, and the opening theoretical chapters may seem heavy going, but have patience: they provide necessary context. Shippey has Tolkien's measure in full throughout. He explains what was important to Tolkien, what Tolkien thought he was doing, and - no less vitally - why it is necessary to understand this if one is not to bash Tolkien in annoyance for not accomplishing something totally different.
If you read Shippey, will you necessarily understand Tolkien? No. But if you don't read Shippey, and if you also don't have his insight and knowledge, you will not fully understand Tolkien.
Amazon.com
In the mid-19th century, the major powers of Europe descended on East Asia, determined to forge empires. The French, who came to what is now Vietnam and Cambodia, sought to join their holdings there to the scattered French colonies farther north in China, but they were faced with a problem: the Mekong River, which laces through Indochina, was not mapped. In the dry season, little more than a wide stream, but in the monsoon season "an uncontrollable torrent, spilling over its banks to turn hundreds of square miles of dry land into a massive patchwork of temporary lakes," the Mekong was a formidable obstacle.
In 1866 a party of six French explorers, led by a young officer named Doudart de Lagrée and his lieutenant, Francis Garnier, set out to travel the river to its unknown source. Though de Lagrée died of fever in Cambodia, the remaining French explorers, led by Garnier, ventured onward into the mountains of southwestern China. Garnier and his men traveled across more than 4,000 miles of uncharted territory in their two-year journey, but never reached the Mekong's source, which remained unknown until just recently. Turning defeat to advantage, however, they mapped major portions of the then-unknown Red River, opening it to French trade. First published in 1975, Milton Osborne's adventure-filled narrative of their dangerous journey is a fine contribution to the history of exploration, and makes for enjoyable reading. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
In 1866, six Frenchmen set out on a dangerous mission to seek a trade route up the Mekong. During the two years that followed, they would journey through more than four thousand miles of unmapped territory, from the tropical heat of the swamps of Vietnam and Cambodia to the bitter cold of the mountain ranges of southwestern China. Their historic expedition is the dramatic subject of River Road to China by world-renowned Southeast Asia expert Milton Osborne. Selected by The New York Times as one of the best books of 1975 when it was originally published, this edition has been updated to include a new postscript by the author and more than thirty full-color illustrations by the expedition's artist.
Book Description
In the mid-19th century, no one in the Western world knew the full course--or indeed the source -- of the great Mekong River in Southeast Asia. In 1866 six Frenchmen set out on a dangerous mission to seek a trade route up the Mekong. During the two years that followed, they would journey through more than 4,000 miles of unmapped territory, from the tropical heat of the swamps of Vietnam & Cambodia to the bitter cold of the mountain ranges of southwestern China. Their historic expedition is the dramatic subject of this volume. This updated edition includes a new postscript by the author & more than 30 full-color illustrations by the expedition's artist. "A stirring narrative account of one of the most celebrated expeditions in a great age of exploration
Customer Reviews:
Beyond the imagination.......2001-01-20
Osborne's book is an excellent account of the first European expedition up the Mekong River, from Saigon into the Southwestern region of the Chinese empire. As it is based on official and unofficial records of the exploration, written by the actual members of the French team, the account is both vivid and accurate, and conveys so much of the hardship and heartache experienced by the Frenchmen and those who accompanied them. It is also a profound and readable introduction to the history of Southeast Asia, its relation to China, and its position as the centerpiece of a colonial competition for trade, conquest, and scientific discovery. Great book!
Book Description
Here is the book that Tolkien fans have needed for half a century--a detailed, book-length chronology of J. R. R. Tolkien's complex tale. Whether you are a serious Tolkien fan or simply someone who enjoys reading the story over and over again, this is the book for you. It's the first totally new reference for The Lord of the Rings since the 1970s.
Beginning over 1400 years before the major events in Tolkien's epic, it describes, year-by-year, the amazing and imaginative background history that Tolkien created for his masterpiece. Then for the main narrative, it becomes a day-by-day reference, describing what each character does on that day and all the places where those events are described in Tolkien's writings. You can find out, for instance, what Merry and Pippin are doing as Sam perpares rabbit stew on the morning of March 7.
Probe deeper into Tolkien. See why someone as serious as Gandalf was interested in fun-loving Hobbits. Discover an exciting new plot, based on Tolkien's notes, that begins when Aragorn captures Gollum. Follow along as the Black Riders and Gandalf race for the Shire. Decide for yourself whether Sauron and the Ring have any ties to Hitler and Stalin. Explore what Tolkien believed about nature and technology.
A few facts illustrate how helpful this chronology is. Most of narrative is a deliberately confusing sea of next days and third days that leave readers as confused as the tale's main characters.The middle 60 percent of The Lord of the Rings gives the current date only once. In the narrative as a whole, the date is given only 23 times, or once for every 43 pages, and most of those come when the plot is moving slowly. That's why those who want to dig deeper and understand better what Tolkien was saying will find this book a must-have.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Resource.......2006-12-10
Perry has done a wonderful job in untangling the very intricate tale woven by J.R.R. Tolkien. Of particular help are the copious margin notes which reference exactly where Perry is drawing the information contained within that section of his book. The commentary made by the author is a welcomed pause for reflection on the events that are taking place and keep the book from being a mere listing of dates and events. I teach a course on J.R.R. Tolkien and have found Untangling Tolkien a valuable resource, since it covers the entire history of Middle-earth: what comes before The Hobbit and what takes place after The Lord of The Rings. Bravo Mr. Perry, I look forward to reading your other books.
Knits up the ravels.......2004-10-31
An amazing accomplishment by a dedicated Tolkien fan.
That is how I'd sum up the book Untanging Tolkien. Michael Perry has first unraveled all Tolkien's "dates" -- which can be extrapolated from phases of the moon -- and then knit them together again in a cohesive outline, presented in much greater detail than Tolkien's own timeline (found buried in Appendix A of LOTR). By incorporating information from other Tolkien writings, the author of Untangling Tolkien collates additional facts about all the characters and the circumstances surrounding the War of the Ring, folding them all into this detailed chronology. He includes material that sheds light on possible parallels between Tolkien's work and events that were contemporary, and he provides original commentary that suggests some additional motivations for Tolkien's characters. Sidebars offer references to every source for the information presented and for each conclusion the author has drawn.
I found the format, with quick-reference bulleted lists and clearly delineated sections and subheadings, well-organized and easy to use.
NOTE: I read the third printing that was published in May 2004. Apparently the author has corrected many of the errors that David Bratman objected to (below). You won't find a better overview or a more throrough treatment of time and dates in LOTR than Perry provides in this book.
A Radiograph of LotR........2003-12-27
This book is layed out as a chronological record of the events covered by Tolkein's masterpiece with prefaces that explain the calender system created by Tolkein and its conversion to our more mundane (and possibly inferior) system. The type is clear, and margin citations clear and present for every entry. It's primary utility, at which it succeeds admirably, is as a kind of radiograph of Tolkein's work that reveals its astonishing complexity more clearly and allows one to admire, and more importantly, explore the book itself more quickly, easily, and deeply.
The book also contains copious notes inline with the chronology. These vary from informative to tangential, but at worst do not detract from the book's primary function. Mr. Perry is perhaps foremost as Lewis scholar, and so C.S. Lewis, a close acquaintance and friend of Tolkein, makes a number of appearances. Also making appearances in the notes are William Shakespeare and Winston Churchill.
All in all, a unique book which will save anyone who wants to do an in depth study of LotR a lot of time.
Splendid Tolkien Reference Work.......2003-12-21
Superb, exhaustive chronology of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saga. Perry does a superior job in untangling a number of thorny chronological issues in Tolkien's narrative, and he employs some fine literary detective work in reconstructing what events are happening across Middle Earth on any given date. Especially admirable is his reconstruction of how much moonlight there was during each day of Frodo and Sam's journey into Mordor.
In addition to chronology, Perry supplies a lot of background information about Tolkien's themes and sources, as well as biographical tidbits about Tolkien. For example, there are fascinating discussions of Tolkien's views of technology, freedom, and totalitarianism. Perry also discusses Tolkien's stance toward the misuse of Germanic myths by the Nazis.
This is a great resource for Tolkien-lovers everywhere.
a giant mass of undifferentiated trivia.......2003-12-21
A year-by-year, later day-by-day, chronicle of the war against Sauron from the founding of the Shire to the glorious conclusion seems at the outset like a good idea. Perry calls LOTR's Appendix B, the Tale of Years, "far from complete" but it covers the whole period: what he means is that it's not detailed enough for him. Appendix B won't tell you which day Sam cooked coney for Frodo; Perry will.
But alas, the book does not stop there. The entries are written as bullet lists like a PowerPoint presentation, and many add pointless little flowcharts such as two-generation family trees. They reduce Tolkien's magnificently complex subcreation into a giant mass of undifferentiated trivia. And each yearly or daily entry comes with its commentary, whether directly relevant, side points, broader considerations, or dogmatic essays in applicability. The unrelieved banality and inappropriateness of these must be read to be believed; as also the author's clumsy, grammatically inept style, and his smug superiority to the characters. (He frequently criticizes the good guys' "blunders," all of them more complex than he implies.)
There's actually some good chronological analysis and speculation hiding in here. But how can someone who knows his Tolkien that well say that the wizards were Valar, or that Rohan gave Isengard to Saruman (it wasn't theirs to give, and Saruman was made its warden, not a freeholder), that Boromir and Faramir had a sibling rivalry (Tolkien specifically says not), or suggest that Galadriel should have sent daily eagles to check up on the Fellowship?
These are not isolated examples: the bloopers and misconceived ideas go on and on. The whole book is like that: it has the soul of a PowerPoint presentation. I can't recommend it on any terms.
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