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The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Boxed Set Hardcover

by Wayne G. Hammond (Author)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 150 ratings
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Stunning three-volume slipcased set containing the most comprehensive in-depth companion to Tolkien’s life and works ever published, including synopses of all his writings, and a Tolkien gazetteer, who’s who and chronology. The three volumes contained in this slipcase, written by two of the foremost experts on J.R.R. Tolkien, comprise the definitive handbook to one of the most popular authors of the 20th century. Tolkien's progress is traced from his birth in South Africa in 1892, to the battlefields of France and the lecture-halls of Leeds and Oxford, to his success as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, until his death in 1973. His many academic and literary achievements, his public reception, and his enduring fame are examined in detail. The first volume in this set is a Chronology of Tolkien's life and works, the most extensive biographical resource about him ever published. Thousands of details have been drawn from letters, contemporary documents in libraries and archives, and a wide variety of other published and unpublished sources. Assembled together, they form a portrait of Tolkien in all his aspects: the distinguished scholar of Old and Middle English, the capable teacher and administrator, the devoted husband and father, the brilliant creator of Middle-earth. The second and third volumes, the Reader's Guide, is an indispensable introduction to Tolkien's life, writings, and art. It includes histories and discussions of his works; analyses of the components of his vast 'Silmarillion' mythology; brief biographies of persons important in his life; accounts of places he knew; essays on topics such as Tolkien's interests and attitudes towards contemporary issues, ideas found in his works, adaptations, and invented languages; and checklists of his published works, his poetry, his pictorial art, and translations of his writing.
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
  3. Dimensions
    5.87 x 5.16 x 8.98 inches
  4. ISBN-10
    0008214549
  5. ISBN-13
    978-0008214548
  6. See all details
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Product details

  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0008214549
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0008214548
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.25 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.87 x 5.16 x 8.98 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 150 ratings

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
150 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

c
5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary insight to an extraordinary author, and Shipped well!
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2023
Verified Purchase
I must preface this review with the fact that I have had very mixed experiences with buying books through amazon, the prices are usually very good but the books are sometimes not well packaged which can result in alot of damage. (Usually superficial I admit, though damage is damage regardless.)

This set of books arrived in a slightly bigger box than necessary. However the books were well wrapped in plastic which protected even the vulnerable edges from damage.

This actually suprised me in the best of ways, as it was shipped all the way from Poland to the U.S.

The books themselves are of a very high quality, with nice thick pages, fine print, and a sturdy slipcase for the three of them that fits them just right! I started looking through the Chronology immediately and know without a doubt I will not regret purchasing this set from Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. They have quite alot of valuable insight on Tolkien, and after already having The Art of the Hobbit and The Art of the Lotr I look forward to reading these books as well for an even greater understanding and knowledge of my favorite 20th century author as well as the wonderful secondary world he created for us all to enjoy.
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Steve B
5.0 out of 5 stars A New Reference Work, Not an Update
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2020
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To clarify: This is not an updated or expanded version of "The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion." That work is entirely separate and still quite useful. The "Companion and Guide" covers much new ground about Tolkien's life and writings. "The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion" is of interest to many readers of the Lord of the Rings. The Companion and Guide includes a two-volume Reader's Guide, an encyclopedia of articles on topics related to Tolkien, covering a good bit that may only be of interest to specialists and the most devoted Tolkien fans. The Chronology volume in the set gives an extraordinarily detailed account of Tolkien's activities throughout his life.
31 people found this helpful
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John H. Jenke
5.0 out of 5 stars This is the definitive work!
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2020
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when combined with Christopher Tolkien's work, I cannot imagine there will be another work this thorough in documenting Tolkien's life and his ideas.
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Alexander Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2019
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A wonderful reference. I bought this edition because it has so much more than the first.

If you want a reference this is probably the place to start.
5 people found this helpful
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Joe R. Christopher
5.0 out of 5 stars The second, expanded edition
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2019
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Two volumes have an alphabetical guide to topics related to Tolkien; one volume is a chronological listing of biographical data on Tolkien. All is excellently done.
5 people found this helpful
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E. Pierce
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2018
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Another stellar work of scholarship from Hammond and Scull, improving upon and updating the first edition.
4 people found this helpful
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J Spears
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the Investment
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2018
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Glad to have this update.
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Sara Ciborski
5.0 out of 5 stars The Chronology-utterly engrossing
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2022
The Chronology—Utterly Engrossing

For serious Tolkien lovers, the two-volume J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide (Chronology and Readers’ Guide) is essential reading. I post here an extract of a very personal account of my experience reading the Chronology, which I wrote years ago for Mythprint, a publication of the Mythopoeic Society.
I knew that the Chronology was intended as a reference work, not a biography. Nonetheless I began at the first entry (21 January 1889 Edith Mary Bratt…is born in Gloucester England…) and continued reading over the next few weeks straight through to the last item (17 November 1973 A memorial service for Tolkien is held…).
From beginning to end it was utterly engrossing. I already knew a fair amount about Tolkien’s life and work. What fascinated me page after page was the minute particularity of people, places, and activities that filled the life of this extraordinary man. His days were packed with teaching, work on long- and short-term scholarly research projects, academic meetings, advisement of students, domestic joys and crises, the pursuit of close friendships, and innumerable letters to relatives, colleagues, publishers, and of course fans. I was newly astonished by his integrity and passion for excellence. I ached for his despair when he failed to meet deadlines, and empathized with his constant battle for peace of mind amid the relentless pressures of work. I was especially interested to read entries on topics I had not previously known about, like the saga of his efforts to complete his work on the Clarendon Chaucer and the Ancrene Riwle (abortive in both cases). I loved reading that his students found him always affable, kind, helpful. I found almost incredible his serving on seemingly every possible academic committee and taking responsibility for endless administrative tasks. And still year after year he worked on what we now call his Legendarium—poems, tales, languages, mythology—always with the excruciatingly high standard of perfection that is his hallmark. And finally, with increasing frailty, the need for letting go. The cumulative effect of all this detail was: to marvel again, with gratitude, at the unique convergence of skill, erudition, imagination, love and devotion that brought us Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings.
Sara Ciborski
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Top reviews from other countries

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Rubem Manoel Viana Junior
5.0 out of 5 stars INDISPENSÁVEL
Reviewed in Brazil on November 5, 2023
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Livros indispensáveis para quem quer estudar sobre a obra de JRRTolkien. Qualidade do material incrível.
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C
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book but poor quality production
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2023
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Good books but very poor quality production. In all 3 volumes at least half the pages have flaws in the paper, furrows and creases - very poor production by Unwin Hyman
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elenneth
5.0 out of 5 stars Occhio a cosa cercate!
Reviewed in Italy on November 17, 2021
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!!ATTENZIONE!!
Questi tre volumi riguardano Tolkien, NON espressamente le sue opere.
Quindi la "Chronology" è la cronologia della SUA VITA, NON di quella di Arda/Terra di Mezzo.
Il "Companion" invece riguarda TEMATICHE (religione, figure retoriche, lingue ecc.) contenute nelle sue opere, NON una sorta di enciclopedia alfabetica dei personaggi.
Se cercate questo, "The Complete Guide To Middle Earth" (9780007169429) di Robert Foster è quello che fa per voi.

Detto questo, la ritengo un'ottima opera per approfondire la vostra conoscenza dell'Autore più importante (a mio parere) del XX secolo, andando ad analizzare molti aspetti della sua vita e della sua componente creativa.
3 people found this helpful
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Nick
5.0 out of 5 stars For serious or amateur scholars
Reviewed in Canada on March 30, 2019
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This is a set for serious or amateur scholars of Tolkien, the man; and/or Tolkien, his literary works. The volumes are thick and heavy with quite small print, so be forewarned. They are, however, a comprehensive and detailed look at Tolkien's life and writings. For me (an amateur scholar), this set is an updated version of a single volume set I already have. You need a cold winter, a fireplace, a glass of wine - cigar optional, an obsessive interest in Tolkien, and a lot of time to truly appreciate these volumes. A practical description of the contents is available elsewhere, so I won't repeat that here. A must have if you're a true fan.
4 people found this helpful
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Yvi
5.0 out of 5 stars The best of Tolkien research
Reviewed in Germany on November 16, 2017
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The Chronology: is a listing of significant events relating to Tolkien and starts in 1857 with the birth of J. R. R. Tolkien's father through to November 1973, 50 pages of notes and a unified index of the 3 volumes.
Reader's Guide Part 1: consists of entries A-M of key works, quotations from key essays, biographical information, details of people key to Tolkien, criticism, research and general studies.
Reader's Guide Part 2: consists of entries N-Z continued from part 1 plus Family Trees, Bibliographies of Tolkien's published works, academic contributions, art, poetry. A section of work consulted which will blow you away how deeply they have studied for these works. Then again like the chronology there is the unified Index.

This set is an essential aid to researching J. R. R. Tolkien.
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