'Among the greatest works of imaginative fiction of the twentieth century.'

--Sunday Telegraph

'A story magnificently told, with every kind of colour and movement and greatness.'

--New Statesman

'The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and those who are going to read them.'

--Sunday Times

"Three Rings for the Eh, en-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth still it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell, by chance, into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.

From his fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, Sauron's power spread far and wide. He gathered all the Great Rings to him, but ever he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion.

On his eleventy-first birthday, Bilbo disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin, Frodo, the Ruling Ring, and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the wizard, Merry, Pippin and Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Boromir of Gondor, and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.

NOTE ON THE TEXT

NOTE ON THE 50TM ANNIVERSARY EDITION

FOREWORD TO THE SECOND EDITION

PROLOGUE Concerning Hobbits, and other matters

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

BOOK ONE

  I A Long-expected Party

 II The Shadow of the Past

III Three is Company

 IV A Short Cut to Mushrooms

  V A Conspiracy Unmasked

 VI The Old Forest

VII In the House of Tom Bombadil

VIII Fog on the Barrow-downs

 IX At the Sign of The Prancing Pony

  X Strider

 XI A Knife in the Dark

XlI Flight to the Ford

BOOK TWO

  I Many Meetings

 II The Council of Elrond

III The Ring Goes South

 IV A Journey in the Dark

  V The Bridge of Khazad-dum

 VI Lothl6rien

VII The Mirror of Galadriel

VIII Farewell to Lorien

 IX The Great River

  X The Breaking of the Fellowship

THE TWO TOWERS

BOOK THREE

  I The Departure of Boromir

 II The Riders of Rohan

III The Uruk-hai

 IV Treebeard

  V The White Rider

 VI The King of the Golden Hall

VII Helm's Deep

VIII The Road to Isengard

 IX Flotsam and Jetsam

  X The Voice of Saruman

 XI The Palantir

BOOK FOUR

 I The Taming of Smeagol

II The Passage of the Marshes

III The Black Gate is Closed

IV Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit

 V The Window on the West

 VI The Forbidden Pool

VII Journey to the Cross-roads

VIII The Stairs of Cirith Ungol

 IX Shelob's Lair

  X The Choices of Master Samwise

THE RETURN OF THE KING

BOOK FIVE

  I Minas Tirith

 II The Passing of the Grey Company

III The Muster of Rohan

 IV The Siege of Gondor

  V The Ride of the Rohirrim

 VI The Battle of the Pelennor Fields

VII The Pyre of Denethor

VIII The Houses of Healing

 IX The Last Debate

  X The Black Gate Opens

BOOK SIX

  I The Tower of Cirith Ungol

 II The Land of Shadow

III Mount Doom

 IV The Field of Cormallen

  V The Steward and the King

 VI Many Partings

VII Homeward Bound

VIII The Scouting of the Shire

 IX The Grey Havens

APPENDICES

A ANNALS OF THE KINGS AND RULERS

  I The Numenorean Kings

 II The House of Eorl

III Durin's Folk

B THE TALE OF YEARS (CHRONOLOGY OF THE WESTLANDS)

C FAMILY TREES (HOBBITS)

D CALENDARS

E WRITING AND SPELLING

  I Pronunciation of Words and Names

 II Writing

F I The Languages and Peoples of the Third Age

 II On Translation

INDEXES

  I Poems and Songs

  II Poems and Phrases in Languages Other Than Common Speech

 III Persons, Places and Things