The Silmarillion

Much of what makes Tolkien's epic The Lord of the Rings great, is the depth of story provided by many glimpses of Middle-earth's history. The Silmarillion provides us a more detailed account of the earliest of that that history, the Elder Days, or the First Age -- The creation of Middle-earth; The coming of the Elves; Feanor and the crafting of the Silmarils; Beren and Luthien; The rise and fall of Melkor.

Tolkien worked on the tales and stories that would become The Silmarillion most of his life - the earliest versions date back to 1917. The events of the wondrous world of Middle-earth played a great role in shaping The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The Silmarillion, however, was not published until 1977, four years after Tolkien's death. His son, Christopher, spent several years editing his father's notebooks and writings, attempting to create a coherent, publishable work. The result is a series of tales, much different in tone and scope that either The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, which the casual fan of Tolkien may find somewhat more difficult to enjoy, but which is no less an achievement than The Lord of the Rings.

Related titles: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings

Interesting Editions

	The Silmarillion (Second Edition) (Hardcover) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (Editor) Available from: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
	The Silmarillion (Illustrated Edition) (Hardcover) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (Editor), Ted Nasmith (Illustrator) Available from: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
	The Silmarillion (Illustrated Edition) (Paperback) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (Editor), Ted Nasmith (Illustrator) Available from: Amazon.co.uk
	The Silmarillion (Paperback) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (Editor) Available from: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
	The Silmarillion : Boxed Set (Unabridged CD Audio) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Martin Shaw (Performer) Available from: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk (UK edition ships October 2001)
	The Silmarillion : Boxed Set (Unabridged Audio Cassette) by J. R. R. Tolkien, Martin Shaw (Performer) Available from: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
	The Silmarillion Poster Collection (6 Paintings) by Ted Nasmith Available from: Amazon.com | 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