J.R.R. Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography
A
Descriptive Bibliography was written in 1993 by Wayne G.
Hammond with the assistance of Douglas A. Anderson.
Anyone willing to collect books by Tolkien simply must have this book.
It covers every known detail about the publication of his books.
It might in the beginning seem boring, a book full of publishing details,
but it is actually an interesting historical account of tolkien's trials
and tribulations getting his works out to the public.
It shows us how hard it was to get your books published and to get it
done proper. You'll see how Tolkiens proven masterwork The Lord of The
Rings was believed to be a failure
Since no one expected the book to do well, appropriate plans were not
made to deal with the incredibly high demand for the book. Although Allen
& Unwin had success with the Hobbit, and should have expected at least
equivalent success with the Lord of the Rings, they could not have anticipated
the frenzy of demand that developed, especially in the American mass market.
Although Hammond's mission in a bibliography is confined to publishing
details, the story seeps through, and sections read like a journalist's
account of a sailor making his way through the churning seas of publishing.
Next to the story the book is the perfect guide when you are going to
buy books or try to find out which books our out there.
J.R.R.
Tolkien Companion & Guide Boxed Set
This item will be available on May 1 and you should really pre-order this
one! These are the works that i am waiting for!! They are designed to
be the essential reference works for all readers and students, these volumes
present the most thorough analysis possible of tolkien's work within the
important context of his life.
The Reader's Guide includes brief but comprehensive alphabetical entries
on a wide range of topics, including a who's who of important persons,
a guide to places and institutions, details concerning tolkien's source
material, information about the political and social upheavals through
which the author lived, the importance of his social circle, his service
as an infantryman in World War I -- even information on the critical reaction
to his work and the "Tolkien cult."
The Chronology details the parallel evolutions of tolkien's works and his academic and personal life in minute detail. Spanning the entirety of his long life including nearly sixty years of active labor on his Middle-earth creations, and drawing on such contemporary sources as school records, war service files, biographies, correspondence, the letters of his close friend C. S. Lewis, and the diaries of W. H. Lewis, this book will be an invaluable resource for those who wish to gain a complete understanding of tolkien's status as a giant of twentieth-century literature.
ONLINE
RESOURCES:
One of the biggest online sources when trying to find some scarce or rare
books is Advanced Book Exchange (Abebooks). Even if you are not going to buy
any books there, it is till very usefull to go and check what prices the
book you are going to buy elsewhere is at abebooks. Abebooks is very complete
and offers even the very scarce items like first editions of The hobbit,
Lord of The Rings, Letters from Tolkien. Once in a while you bump inti
rare Tolkien pieces, but then remind you will have to pay for them! Abebooks
sellers are very professional and know their prices very well. But then
again, they are very thrustworhty and you almost never get dissapointed.