The Silmarillion: 3

<p>The Silmarillion is Tolkien's first book and his last, the core of his imaginative work that underlies all his writings about Middle-earth. Here are the legends of the Elder Days, the central stories that give meaning to the events of <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> and <i>The Hobbit.</i> Tolkien began <i>The Silmarillion</i> in 1917 and worked on it, changed it, and continued it throughout his life. Edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien, the book finally appeared four years after the author's death, in 1977.</p> <p>Now illustrated for the first time with original paintings by the renowned artist Ted Nasmith, this gift edition is a companion to the illustrated editions of <i>The Hobbit</i> and the <i>Lord of the Rings trilogy.</i></p>