An indispensable and comprehensive guide to JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit, covering all the characters, places and objects included in the seminal book that first introduced the world of Middle Earth. The prequel to The Lord of the Rings (1954), The Hobbit (1937) is an extraordinarily rich work that sets up the fantasy world that would be built upon at greater length in Tolkien’s later books. Peter Jackson's trilogy of films based on this single work have helped to create a new generation of Tolkien fans...

The Hobbit Encyclopedia is a lovingly crafted coffee table edition that is beautifully designed. It's more a book that you'll want to flick through than it is one that you'll want to read from cover to cover. It allows you to explore Middle-Earth, decipher the Dwarfs’ alphabet and discover the legendary sources where Tolkien found his inspiration. It is also richly illustrated with original colour drawings by Xavier Sanchez and Sandrine Gestin.

This encyclopedia includes a hundred entries spread out over seven chapters describing all the book’s characters, the places Bilbo visited, the creatures met during the journey, magical items and great legendary myths that fed Tolkien’s imagination. Just like Lord of the Rings, the adventure of Bilbo, Gandalf and the thirteen stateless dwarfs is not just a story for children. An epic wind blows over their quest and makes the dwarfs and the hobbit reach the impossible to achieve their dreams. They cross hostile lands and beat monstrous enemies, until one last desperate battle. In Tolkien’s hands, the ordinary bravery of the hobbit transcends the warrior’s heroism to oppose evil.

This book is an essential buy for fans of Tolkien's work. Every aspect shows the love and passion the publisher, writers and illustrators have for the original masterpiece.

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Nick Smithson