The Lord of the Rings

Mistakenly called a trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien's epic, The Lord of the Rings, grew in the telling such that its publishers chose to split it into three volumes, each containing two books, for the sake of both convenience and economy. Over the years, the three parts, The Fellowship of the Ring (1954), The Two Towers (1955), and The Return of the King (1955) have been published both individually and together as a single volume. With sales of more than 50 million copies, published in 25 languages, and in almost every country, The Lord of the Rings is truly one of the greatest works of the 20^th century.

Synopsis

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, The Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell, by chance, into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.

From his fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, Sauron's power spread far and wide. He gathered all the Great Rings to him, but ever he searched far and wide for the One Ring that would complete his dominion.

On his eleventy-first birthday Bilbo disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest -- to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom.

The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard, the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Boromir of Gondor, and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.

Related titles: The Hobbit, The Silmarillion

Interesting Editions

	The Lord of the Rings (Paperback) by J. R. R. Tolkien Available from: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
	The Lord of the Rings (Hardcover) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Alan Lee (Illustrator) Available from: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
	The Lord of the Rings (Millennium Edition) (Hardcover, 7 Volumes) by J. R. R. Tolkien Available from: Amazon.com
	The Lord of the Rings (Leatherbound Collectors Edition) by J.R.R. Tolkien Available from: Amazon.com
	Lord of the Rings (DVD; Animated) by Ralph Bakshi Available from: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
	Return of the King (DVD; Animated) by Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass Available from: Amazon.com
	The Lord of the Rings : Audio CD Box Set (Audio CD, Boxed Edition) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Ian Holm (Reader) Available from: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
	Lord of the Rings Poster Collection (6 Paintings by Alan Lee) by Alan Lee Available from: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
	The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (Paperback; 4 Volume Boxed Set) by J.R.R. Tolkien Available from: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.co.uk

Note that editions published in the US and UK genereally differ. The above links to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk are to the same (where possible) or similar editions