A comprehensive, beautifully illustrated reference guide to all the living creatures that inhabit J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth and Undying Lands. Eleven of Europe's most exciting fantasy artists were brought together to illustrate the book. The book includes a map, a chronology of all the ages, and a special index referring readers back to Tolkien's original works. There are also 36 paintings that vividly portray the most important moments in the history of Middle Earth and the Undying Lands. 

Guide to Tolkien's World seeks to do justice to the creatures and their world through more than one hundred fantasy illustrations. All kinds of beings are shown, be they vast winged dragons, earthbound creatures of evil, or simple flowers. David Day has identified and analyzed 129 separate races. Each is clearly explained in terms of its physical appearance, language,behaviour and culture. The purpose of Guide to Tolkien's World is not to retell their stories, but to make Tolkien's own book more accessible by identifying his creatures and explaining their roles in his epic world.

Author Information

David Day was born and brought up in Canada. He has published more than twenty books in the fields of poetry, ecology, natural history, fantasy and mythology and a number of award-winning children's books. His writing has also appeared in many magazines and anthologies. His enduring fascination with complex mythologies led him to J.R.R. Tolkien.