In addition, the book contains 20 full-colour plates and numerous examples of the conceptual art produced for Peter Jackson's film adaptation. Even when the final drawing is achieved and is unquestionably fantastic in concept, he did not hesitate to put it aside if it didn’t work with the story he had developed so far.

The UK publisher of this book, Unwin Hyman, also happened to be Tolkien’s publisher, and it was their Tolkien editor, Jane Johnson, who began to look for an opportunity to commission an illustrated edition of The Lord of the Rings. A passage from Tolkein’s books is included next to each image, and near the end of the book are small biographies of all the artists included.

R. Tolkien, the reclusive, pipe-smoking Oxford don, was in the vanguard, and so great was his achievement that his name became virtually synonymous with the literature of fantasy. There is something about the alluring world of elves, dwarves and old magic which has proved exceptionally popular, working on the imagination both as an enthralling adventure story and, at a deeper level, as ’a comprehensive counter-myth to the story of the 20th century’ (Independent). To access your ebook(s) after purchasing, you can download the free Glose app or read instantly on your browser by logging into Glose.

Other than that, the bulk of the work here is pretty a rehash of content from the those three art books. Has anyone heard anything about these editions and know if they're worth waiting for rather than getting the current versions? In short, they conclude, "Tolkien's art and his visual imagination should be considered an essential part of his writing and thinking.Also, because my favorite boxed set of LOTR features the dustjackets Tolkien designed, I loved seeing the thought that went into those designs—much more care than I would have imagined! The first great English detective novel, Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone is presented in a Folio Society limited edition of 750 numbered copies.

Among the illustrations 101 are previously unpublished, and 42 are published in colour for the first time.The Hobbit had two maps; The Lord of the Rings had three, redrawn by his son Christopher Tolkien; The Silmarillion had two. I was about to see The Lord of the Rings performed on stage (it ended up being the best theater experience of my life!

Despite being quite critical and harsh towards himself and his ability to draw, his illustrations showcase a talent that remains complimentary to his unparalleled imagination.

Reading about the thought process and how they used the art to create the magic for the movies was surprisingly interesting to me.