Product Description

In The War of the Ring Christopher Tolkien takes up the story of the writing of The Lord of the Rings with the Battle of Helm's Deep and the drowning of Isengard by the Ents. This is followed by an account of how Frodo, Sam and Gollum were finally brought to the Pass of Kirith Ungol, at which point J.R.R. Tolkien wrote at the time: 'I have got the hero into such a fix that not even an author will be able to extricate him without labour and difficulty'. Then comes the war in Gondor, and the book ends with the parley between Gandalf and the ambassador of the Dark Lord before the Black Gate of Mordor.

In describing his intentions for The Return of the King J.R.R. Tolkien said that 'It will probably work out very differently from this plan when it really gets written, as the thing seems to write itself once it gets going'; and in The War of the Ring totally unforeseen developmenst that would become central to the narrative are seen at the moment of their emergence: the palantir bursting into fragments on the stairs of Orthanc, its nature as unknown to the author as to those who saw it fall, or the entry of Faramir into the story ('I am sure I did not invent him, though I like him, but there he came walking into the woods of Ithilien').

The book is illustrated with plans and drawings of the changing conceptions of Orthanc, Dunharrow, Minas Tirith and the tunnels of Shelob's Lair.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #328222 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780618083596
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Library Journal
Collectively, these volumes are marketed as "The History of The Lord of the Rings" and tell alternate stories of the siege of Middle-earth and Sauron's defeat.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
J.R.R. Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892. After serving in the First World War, he embarked upon a distinguished career as a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University. He is the renowned creator of Middle-earth and author of the great modern classic, The Hobbit, the prelude to his epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings. Other works by J.R.R. Tolkien include The Silmarillion. J.R.R. Tolkien died in 1973 at the age of 81.

Christopher Tolkien, who formerly taught at Oxford University, is J.R.R. Tolkien's son and literary executor. The editor of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales as well as the twelve-part series The History of Middle-earth, he lives in France.

Customer Reviews

And the saga continues. . .
"The War of the Ring" is the third installment of Christopher Tolkien's "The History of The Lord of the Rings" series, and the eighth volume of his massive "The History of Middle Earth".

Like the two volumes before it, Christopher Tolkien takes the reader on a detailed journey of the creative processes through which "The Lord of the Rings" came to be. Of particular interest in this book:

The development of the "Paths of the Dead" story.

The development of the character of Denethor, Steward of Gondor.

The development of "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields".

The development of the story of Shelob and Frodo's capture.

It's unfortunate that Christopher Tolkien was unable to finish "The History of The Lord of the Rings" in three volumes, so the reader is left with the story still unfinished. It is also worth noting that these books, especially as they proceed to the end of the story, do not simply rehash the final work. If sections of a chapter underwent little or no evolutionary development, they are treated briefly. The greatest attention is paid to those episodes which were written and re-written, often in very different ways.

I was somewhat disappointed that the theme of Gollum's "near repentance" was not treated in detail, as JRR Tolkien felt that this was a key turning-point in the story. But again, if an episode underwent little development, Christopher did not spend much time on it.

Five stars -- and another "Thank-you" to Christopher for this labor of love on his late father's behalf.

For Die-Hard Tolkien Fans
Christopher Tolkien's analysis and exhaustive research of his father's notes and drafts for the second part of "Two Towers" is an interesting read. SciComm.Net would recommend it for any prospective writers who would like to know the involved thought process and amount of drafting that goes into a complex, involving book such as Tolkien's masterpiece. War of the Rings includes notes on the Palantir, Shelob's lair, and others- See how Tolkien's story evolved over the course of several years. A must-buy from Amazon.Com for all fantasy writers, amateur to advanced, and any of Tolkien's devotees- especially at the reduced price.

Another amazing job by Christopher Tolkien
In the eighth volume of The History of Middle Earth Christopher Tolkien shows us his father's next step in the preparation of LOTR. In this edition many of tbe central themes to the story as it was published came int being, such as the palantir and the addition of Faramir. This book takes us from the destruction of Isengard to the Lords of the West marching on Mordor. We are also once again treated to sketches and maps of such places as Orthanc, Dunharrow, and Minas Tirith. I recommend this book to all Tolkien fans.