The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Places that Inspired Middle-earth

This book is full of stunning imagery, showcasing the inspiration behind the incredible world created by Tolkien. The book is full of variety, with interesting text and brilliant imagery, from maps to historical art to landscape photography, there's plenty to look at and read.

Hermosa edición: pasta dura y papel mate de calidad para disfrutar de todas las ilustraciones y fotografías que inundan el libro. La investigación realizada por el autor es muy especial pues coloca a la naturaleza como la protagonista; al tiempo que ofrece nuevos puntos de vista que permiten disfrutar aún más la obra de Tolkien.

A dream of a book. The images and the information is amazing. I love it!

As a member of the Tolkien Society I enjoy reading comments in the Society's periodicals and on its Facebook page about the latest advertisement identifying various places as having "inspired J.R.R. Tolkien to write his masterpiece!" A few of these claims have some credibility, in that it is known that Tolkien visited or could have visited the site in question, but most are nonsensical: Tolkien never once set foot in Nepal, Iceland, or even Virginia. That is not to say, however, that Tolkien was not inspired by landscapes, ruins, and buildings he saw or read about, and that as a highly educated man of wide interests he and his writings were not influenced by what he read. In The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien John Garth presents us with a sumptuously illustrated book identifying and discussing places that can be solidly identified as having been important to him and to have affected his creative processes. The many illustrations are accompanied by Garth's enjoyable commentary, which is approachable to non-specialists without sacrificing scholarly rigor, as the many end notes attest.The eleven chapters are each devoted to aspects of Tolkien's life and influences. Garth's careful and thorough research means that nearly every page contains new details, thoroughly annotated in the end notes. All are beautifully illustrated with color and black and white photographs as well as artwork from Tolkien himself and such artists as Pauline Baynes, Alan Lee, John Howe, and many others. I can't identify any particular chapter as a "favorite," because I find them all so fascinating in different ways, from English landscapes to Swiss Alpine grandeur to seascapes, caverns, and forests. I also enjoyed the sections dealing with archaeology and history, in which it becomes clear how rooted in reality Tolkien's descriptions of towers and fortresses really are. More poignantly, the chapter dealing with Tolkien's experiences as an officer at the Somme makes clear war's impact on him and his creations.The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien is beautifully designed and constructed and might be considered a "coffee table book," though its value as a reference work is even greater than its "eye appeal." John Garth is the author of Tolkien and the Great War, an account of Tolkien and his three closest friends' lives before and during World War I which is justly considered a classic. His latest work fully deserves the same acclaim.

I'm knocking off one star for the brutal shipping, book bound is slightly damaged upon arrival. The book itself, however, is very informative and somewhat 'academic'. Would recommend to hardcore Tolkien fans, not really for light reading though.