J.R.R Tolkien's Middle Earth
"I feel it is better not to state everything and indeed it is more realistic, since in chronicles and accounts of 'real' history, many facts that some enquirer would like to know are omitted, and the truth has to be discovered or guessed from such evidence as there is."
J.RR. Tolkien, 19 January 1965
Introduction
The following personal writings enquire into various aspects of Middle Earth, using J.R.R Tolkien's written works, combined with common sense and imagination, to provide a fuller picture of the topic. They represent my interpretation and emphasis, and your own may differ. But as works of pseudo-historical research, I have striven to present a precise account that is faithful to Tolkien's evidence.
Writings on Middle Earth
Common Bibliography and Footnote Conventions
These essays have been written over the course of the last five years and reference conventions have varied slightly. The common bibliography is as follows:
TH - The Hobbit (Unwin Paperbacks, 1985)
References are by Chapter and/or Page
Unf - Unfinished Tales (Unwin Paperbacks, 1985)
References are by Part, Section and/or Page
Sil & QS - The Silmarillion (Unwin Paperbacks, 1979)
References are by Page
Letters - The Letters of J.R.R Tolkien (HarperCollins, 1995)
References are by letter number
LOTR - The Lord of the Rings (Unwin Paperbacks, 1984 & HarperCollins, 1995)
References are by Book, Chapter and Page
Please note that the writings on Eriador, Kingship, and Relations between Gondor and Arnor were composed using the earlier Unwin Paperbacks 1984 edition of LOTR, whilst the other works used the later HarperCollins 1995 edition. The pagination differs between the two, hence page references are not transferable between the two works.
Background information contained in LOTR's Appendix A and the Tale of Years is sometimes used without reference.
Your comments and insights are very welcome. Email: warrenl@gofree.indigo.ie
All works copyright Warren Lawless 1995-1999