The Book of Lost Tales 1(The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 1)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0345375211 ISBN 13: 9780345375216

Publisher: Del Rey, 1992

The extraordinary history of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien

The Book of Lost Tales stands at the beginning of the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor. Embedded in English legend and English association, they were set in the narrative frame of a great westward voyage over the Ocean by a mariner named Eriol (or Ælfwine) to Tol Eressëa, the Lonely Isle, where Elves dwelt; from them he learned their true history, the Lost Tales of Elfinesse. In the Tales are found the earliest accounts and original ideas of Gods and Elves; Dwarves and Orcs; the Silmarils and the Two Trees of Valinor; Nargothrond and Gondolin; and the geography and cosmology of the invented world.

Praise for Book of Lost Tales 1

“In these tales we have the scholar joyously gamboling in the thickets of his imagination. . . . A commentary and notes greatly enrich the quest.”—The Daily Telegraph

“Affords us an almost over-the-shoulder view into the evolving creative process and genius of J.R.R. Tolkien in a new, exciting aspect . . .The superb, sensitive, and extremely helpful commentary and editing done by Christopher Tolkien make all of this possible.”—Mythlore

From the Back Cover:

'For the true devotee of Tolkien 'The Book of Lost Tales' is a treasure trove to match the hoard of the dragon Smaug himself. The pure imaginative power of J.R.R. Tolkien shines through with a light just as dazzling as that of the Two Trees. The serious student of Tolkien will find much delight in this book, and it serves as an excellent example of the creative imagination at work.' -Don Sakers, Baltimore Sun

From the Inside Flap:

LOST TALES, I, stands at the beginning of the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor. Here is the whole, glorious history of Middle-earth that J.R.R. Tolkien brought to mythic and dramatic life with his classic fantasy novels of the Ring Cycle.