Fantasy

The Complete Guide to Middle-earth

The Complete Guide to Middle-earth

  • Downloads：4300
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-07-08 06:53:23
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Robert Foster
  • ISBN：000853781X
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

A peerless A–Z guide to the names， places and events in the world of J。R。R。 Tolkien， fully illustrated in colour throughout by acclaimed Tolkien artist， Ted Nasmith。

J。R。R。 Tolkien’s works of epic adventure and fantasy， The Hobbit， The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion have delighted many millions of fans since they were first published， and are now more popular than ever before。

The Complete Guide to Middle-earth has been compiled to enhance the reader’s enjoyment of Tolkien’s books by bringing together in an A-Z sequence all the key facts and information about names， places， languages and events from The Hobbit， The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion。

Accompanied with numerous genealogical tables and a unique Chronology of the First Age， it will provide an indispensable aid to every reader’s discovery of Tolkien’s world。

The first， and definitive， encyclopedia， The Complete Guide to Middle-earth is now reissued to complement the illustrated hardbacks of The Hobbit， The Lord of the Rings， The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales， and is lavishly illustrated with more than 50 full-colour paintings by acclaimed Tolkien artist， Ted Nasmith， with many appearing exclusively in this edition。

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Reviews

Adam Balshan ，

2。5 stars [Encyclopedia]（W: 2。62， U: 2。63， T: 2。33， L: 3。13）Exact rating: 2。68First published in 1978， this work is dated in both its spellings and lore （e。g。， Foster didn't know Gandalf was a Maia， or that the Elvish suffix -（n）dur means "servant"）。 The shorter entries are mediocre， but the longer entries on more important topics are notable。The entries are clean in font， and set against a glossy white page background in the 2003 illustrated edition [L: 3]。 Illustrations by Ted Nasmith averaged 2。5 stars [Encyclopedia]（W: 2。62， U: 2。63， T: 2。33， L: 3。13）Exact rating: 2。68First published in 1978， this work is dated in both its spellings and lore （e。g。， Foster didn't know Gandalf was a Maia， or that the Elvish suffix -（n）dur means "servant"）。 The shorter entries are mediocre， but the longer entries on more important topics are notable。The entries are clean in font， and set against a glossy white page background in the 2003 illustrated edition [L: 3]。 Illustrations by Ted Nasmith averaged a [L: 3。25]。Not a work to buy or consult unless you are a diehard Tolkien fan。 。。。more

Chelsea ，

Stars: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5A great reference book for anyone interested in Tolkien。 This little volume （I say of a 569 page book） claims to list and define almost everything that good ol' JRR mentioned in his books。 At least， as of when it was originally published in 1971。 It's a wonderful little oddity I picked up at the local record shop for about fifty cents and now it's going to sit in pride of place next to my copies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings。 Stars: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5A great reference book for anyone interested in Tolkien。 This little volume （I say of a 569 page book） claims to list and define almost everything that good ol' JRR mentioned in his books。 At least， as of when it was originally published in 1971。 It's a wonderful little oddity I picked up at the local record shop for about fifty cents and now it's going to sit in pride of place next to my copies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings。 。。。more

Linda ~ they got the mustard out！ ~ ，

This is not a book you read， but is instead an invaluable resource for Middle-earth fans。 This is a comprehensive guide to all things Middle-earth， by someone who actually knows the world and history of it。 Sadly， that can't be said for everyone trying to cash in on the Tolkien name these days， so this older resource is definitely the go-to for anyone wanting a quick， easy guide to basic info on names， words， places， events， people and beasts， and tells you where in the texts the information is This is not a book you read， but is instead an invaluable resource for Middle-earth fans。 This is a comprehensive guide to all things Middle-earth， by someone who actually knows the world and history of it。 Sadly， that can't be said for everyone trying to cash in on the Tolkien name these days， so this older resource is definitely the go-to for anyone wanting a quick， easy guide to basic info on names， words， places， events， people and beasts， and tells you where in the texts the information is from。 。。。more

Figment ，

A good quick reference for all those names and places that are found in Tolkien's works。 I found it very useful when reading the Silmarillion。 A good quick reference for all those names and places that are found in Tolkien's works。 I found it very useful when reading the Silmarillion。 。。。more

PottWab Regional Library ，

SM

Timothy Boyd ，

Very nice reference book for Tolkien's work。 Great pics and write ups for just about everything you might want to know。 Very recommended Very nice reference book for Tolkien's work。 Great pics and write ups for just about everything you might want to know。 Very recommended 。。。more

Isaiah Jung ，

well organized

Mark ，

Encyclopedic reference of Middle-Earth with alphabetized entries - first of a kind。 Used many times。 Started as labor of love。 I can see how。

Joe Scrubbins ，

Loved this book since 1978 and always refer to it when rereading LOTR。 Had the paperback since I was a kid and it’s really held up well over the years， despite some serious yellowing now and a creaky spine。Superb reference book。 Entries give you enough information to understand every subject without throwing the kitchen sink at you。。。as could easily happen with a topic loaded with as much depth as Tolkien’s mythologies。 Some entries are perhaps a little too short， although there is usually enoug Loved this book since 1978 and always refer to it when rereading LOTR。 Had the paperback since I was a kid and it’s really held up well over the years， despite some serious yellowing now and a creaky spine。Superb reference book。 Entries give you enough information to understand every subject without throwing the kitchen sink at you。。。as could easily happen with a topic loaded with as much depth as Tolkien’s mythologies。 Some entries are perhaps a little too short， although there is usually enough there to at least point you in the right direction in another book or online。 Back in the 70s and 80s， I found this made the book feel a little too limited。 Today， though， with instant access to what’s on the net， this brevity makes the book an ideal primer。 I also adore the old cover art， with a very traditional 60s-70s take on the Fellowship of the Ring。 The men have a decidedly Renaissance appearance， though， that is oddly charming if maybe more appropriate to a Dutch Masters cigar box。 。。。more

Paul ，

This explains Middle-Earth terminology from A to Z really well， even the characters。

Jared T ，

Great reference if you need to check about places， things， etc。

Etienne ，

Of course this isn’t the kind of book you read cover to cover， but was it a great guide or companion to have by your side while reading Tolkien， absolutely！！ Well done， very basic alphabetical order so easy to consult and search in it。 Look to me like it’s very complete。 If you want to deep-dive into Tolkien universe and want a useful reference book to help you go into it， I would recommend this one！

Michael Reilly ，

Impressive in both the depth of its content and its overall presentation， Robert Foster’s ‘definitive companion’ is a fine reference to the names， places and events of Tolkien’s world and published works。 As an encyclopedia， it is as exhaustive as I would wish， however， its appeal and value is greatly enhanced by the inclusion of Ted Nasmith’s detailed art。 The majority of his paintings are quite magnificent， with exceptional detail， realism and mood， capturing key landscapes and locations in co Impressive in both the depth of its content and its overall presentation， Robert Foster’s ‘definitive companion’ is a fine reference to the names， places and events of Tolkien’s world and published works。 As an encyclopedia， it is as exhaustive as I would wish， however， its appeal and value is greatly enhanced by the inclusion of Ted Nasmith’s detailed art。 The majority of his paintings are quite magnificent， with exceptional detail， realism and mood， capturing key landscapes and locations in compositions that held my attention for some time。 Dramatic and often spectacular， these illustrations give life to the many descriptions， supporting the factual information with artistic vision。 The book is well worth the price just for the art。 。。。more

Mary ，

Was hoping for more details

Amy ，

I used this as a reference book while reading the Silmarillion and found it， along with Karen Wyn Fonstad’s “The Atlas of Middle Earth”， to be an invaluable guide。 At first I was using the index at the back of the Silmarillion to remind me of names/places （and all the variations thereof because Tolkien had to name everything in at least 2-3 different languages） but the further you get into the book， the harder it becomes to jog your memory of what came before （especially since a lot of the Noldo I used this as a reference book while reading the Silmarillion and found it， along with Karen Wyn Fonstad’s “The Atlas of Middle Earth”， to be an invaluable guide。 At first I was using the index at the back of the Silmarillion to remind me of names/places （and all the variations thereof because Tolkien had to name everything in at least 2-3 different languages） but the further you get into the book， the harder it becomes to jog your memory of what came before （especially since a lot of the Noldor elves in middle earth have names that sound super similar and I can never keep straight without the genealogy tables in front of me）。 The Silmarillion only has very basic definitions in its index so when you are on page 200 of the Silmarillion and it refers back to some prophecy earlier in the book （where 10 pages in that book can span 500 years or more） you have to remember who said it and then look up all the mentions for that person in the index to try and find what page 200 is referring back to。 In contrast， Robert Foster’s book has longer summaries so you can just read it all in there pretty easily and continue on with the bigger story。 Also much easier to pick up if you just want to look up any random word/place/person within the tolkienverse。 。。。more

Scifimoth ，

The essential companion to any re-reading of LOTR。

Belle Meade School ，

823。912

Karen ，

Always on going

George Noland II ，

An encyclopedia of persons， places and things in Tolkien’s Middle-earth。 Excellent resource。

Jeff F ，

Only the True Believers own this book。 Welcome。

Mj ，

This is a great guide to the world of Middle Earth that has lost most of its value in a world post-Google。 It features succinct explanations for pretty much any obscure location or character you may run across， and it's very easy to read。 This is a great guide to the world of Middle Earth that has lost most of its value in a world post-Google。 It features succinct explanations for pretty much any obscure location or character you may run across， and it's very easy to read。 。。。more

Altairdroke♥82 ，

+100It kept me hocked un story i loved， realy is amazing

Bookfanatic ，

A great resource for fans of the LOTR。 It's a handy reference that's not too academic。 A great resource for fans of the LOTR。 It's a handy reference that's not too academic。 。。。more

Ettore Pasquini ，

The structure is that of a dictionary， with entries for every single name， name variation， place， character， deity， war， sword， etc。 There was never a time where I searched for something and I didn't find it here。 It was useful while reading the Silmarillion and made it a whole lot more fun。 I won't read Tolkien stuff without it。 There are also full genealogy trees for all the main dynasties: Elrond / Elros， Isildur / Aragorn， Hurin / Boromir / Faramir， et al。 Very handy to understand who’s who。 The structure is that of a dictionary， with entries for every single name， name variation， place， character， deity， war， sword， etc。 There was never a time where I searched for something and I didn't find it here。 It was useful while reading the Silmarillion and made it a whole lot more fun。 I won't read Tolkien stuff without it。 There are also full genealogy trees for all the main dynasties: Elrond / Elros， Isildur / Aragorn， Hurin / Boromir / Faramir， et al。 Very handy to understand who’s who。The only reason for not getting this book is that there's an illustrated guide， which might be nicer; however it's also bigger and less practical， and I wonder if it is as complete as this book， considering it’s half as many pages。 。。。more

Jeffrey ，

This， to me， is the definitive companion or reference guide to Tolkien's books， in addition to any indexes or appendices found at the back of the actual books themselves。 You get an A-Z encyclopedic concordance from pretty much anything in The Hobbit， The Lord of the Rings， the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales。 The artwork， while not needed， is fantastic work by Ted Nasmith。 [also: it matches the illustrated hardbacks of The Hobbit by Alan Lee， The Lord of the Rings by Alan Lee， and The Silmari This， to me， is the definitive companion or reference guide to Tolkien's books， in addition to any indexes or appendices found at the back of the actual books themselves。 You get an A-Z encyclopedic concordance from pretty much anything in The Hobbit， The Lord of the Rings， the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales。 The artwork， while not needed， is fantastic work by Ted Nasmith。 [also: it matches the illustrated hardbacks of The Hobbit by Alan Lee， The Lord of the Rings by Alan Lee， and The Silmarillon by Ted Nasmith; （illustrations， size dimensions， the glossy paper。。。） all published by Harper Collins; quite well。 Of course it is attractive in its own right， but saying it 'fits' really well with some other exisitng editions of Tolkien's books。Despite me writing a review， I did not 'read' all of this title， as it reference。 Nevertheless， after randomly flipping through it （and looking up a few things here and there） I discovered that this book is incredibly handy and comprehensive。 I agree with Christopher Tolkien's statement on the inside dustjacket flap: ""Mr Robert Foster's Complete Guide to Middle-earth supplies， as I have found through frequent use， an admirable work of reference。" Aside from the various Tolkien books I recommend， I insist that this be the only 'extra' or 'reference' one needs to complement The Hobbit， The Lord of the Rings， The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales。 。。。more

David Lynds ，

I keep this around any time I am reading something set in Middle Earth， which is much of the time。 My dog-eared paperback copy is filled with notes， scribbled maps and bookmarks。 Even avid readers of Tolkien's work sometimes have a hard time keeping track of the names， dates and places。 Included are short descriptions of all the who's， the what's， the where's and the when's。 This guide is a perfect reading companion。 I keep this around any time I am reading something set in Middle Earth， which is much of the time。 My dog-eared paperback copy is filled with notes， scribbled maps and bookmarks。 Even avid readers of Tolkien's work sometimes have a hard time keeping track of the names， dates and places。 Included are short descriptions of all the who's， the what's， the where's and the when's。 This guide is a perfect reading companion。 。。。more

Athelstan ，

This book is an exhaustive guide to everything in Tolkein's Lord of the Rings realm。 I have found it indispensable over the years。 I will remember something from the books and will consult this guide to be sure my recollection is correct。 If you are new to the LOTR world， you will find this book to be very handy。 There are spoilers throughout， obviously。 I applaud Robert Foster's effort in compiling this information in one nifty volume。 This book is an exhaustive guide to everything in Tolkein's Lord of the Rings realm。 I have found it indispensable over the years。 I will remember something from the books and will consult this guide to be sure my recollection is correct。 If you are new to the LOTR world， you will find this book to be very handy。 There are spoilers throughout， obviously。 I applaud Robert Foster's effort in compiling this information in one nifty volume。 。。。more

Katherine ，

A must for any Tolkien fan

Lucinda ，

Great guide if you are a fan of any of Tolkien's works。 Great guide if you are a fan of any of Tolkien's works。 。。。more

Hannah ，

This is formatted like a dictionary， so I obviously haven't read all of it。 But it is a very useful book of reference to have when reading any book by Tolkien。 This is formatted like a dictionary， so I obviously haven't read all of it。 But it is a very useful book of reference to have when reading any book by Tolkien。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Complete Guide to Middle-earth

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Complete Guide to Middle-earth&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Complete Guide to Middle-earth&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0