I recall when I was a teenager overhearing a couple of my
classmates talking about a book called The Hobbit and a trilogy of books that
followed The Hobbit known as the Middle-Earth or Tolkien Trilogy.
Intrigued I picked up a paperback edition of The Hobbit and
read it in one evening. I was
enthralled. Bilbo Baggins, a magic ring,
Gollum, Hobbits-why had I not heard of this wonderful world and its inhabitants
before?
Not long afterwards I
picked up the Trilogy and read the entire series in one mad reading frenzy
barely taking time to eat and stretch with no sleep. Once finished I was exhausted both physically
and mentally and slept for 14 hours.
The Tolkien books have been around for decades and with each
new generation more and more people become fans of the series. The Trilogy spawned three movies and The
Hobbit is being filmed at this moment with three films promised.
Insight Editions has just released a large hardbound book
filled with luscious illustrations and paintings by Peter Mckinstry with text
by Gareth Hanrahan. Tolkien’s World is A Guide To The People And Places Of
Middle-Earth offers vital information about The Hobbit and Trilogy.
Although not an official or authorized guide to the series
the book still makes for an important resource for anyone who has never read
the series of for those who cherish each passage. J.R.R. Tolkien fans are sure to want this
beautifully crafted book.