The Lord of the Rings

About this book

Celebrating the birth of J.R.R. Tolkien this centenary edition of the classic volume is illustrated with fifty specially commissioned paintings by an artist whose vision matches Tolkiens own. One Ring to rule them all One Ring to find them One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. 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 Saurons 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 Merry Pippin and Sam Gimli the Dwarf Legolas the Elf Boromir of Gondor and a tall mysterious stranger called Strider.