Delve into Middle-earth, decipher the Dwarves' alphabet and discover the heroes who dominate The Lord of the Rings with this essential guide to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit.This wide-ranging encyclopaedia covers all the characters, places and objects included in the seminal book that first introduced the world of Middle-earth, highlighting the legendary sources from which Tolkien took inspiration.With rich illustrations of action scenes and characters, this encyclopedia has in-depth entries on such subjects as:The ArkenstoneAzog and BolDragonsElvishFaërieGirionLake-townPipes and pipe-weedThe Quest of EreborWasterlandsThe prequel to The Lord of the Rings (1954), The Hobbit (1937) is an extraordinarily rich work that first introduced us to the world of Middle-earth and sets up the fantasy world that would be built upon at greater length in Tolkien's later books. Peter Jackson's trilogy of films based on this single work has helped to create a whole new generation of Tolkien fans.This is the quintessential read for any Tolkien fan, young or old. It also acts as a base reference for those who have newly stepped into Tolkien's world. With a Middle-earth-age period style, this visually appealing guide can be leafed through by topic or read cover to cover.