The History of Middle-earth (Boxed Set 4): Morgoth’s Ring, The War of the Jewels, The Peoples of Middle-earth & Index

And so this superb new edition of Christopher Tolkien's magnum opus is finally complete. This last box set contains some of the most rewarding material in his entire 'History', including 'The Debate of Finrod and Andreth' (a dialogue about the different fates of men and elves), 'The New Shadow' (a sequel to 'The Lord of the Rings'), 'Tal-elmar' (a vignette of the return of the Númenóreans to Middle-earth as imperialists) and a chapter on JRRT's late thoughts on a fundamental revision of his legendarium. If Middle-earth is even half as dear to you as it is to me, these are all guaranteed to fascinate you. How lucky we are that Tolkien had a son who loved him enough to dedicate his life to sharing the great man's literary legacy with us.The 'History' has appeared in many versions over the years, and this latest is unquestionably the best. Included are the illustrations from the first edition—which in this last set means two colour reproductions of JRRT's ravishing calligraphic manuscripts and five of his maps—and also the index volume that was put together when the 'History' was issued in paperback. The first box set also includes reprints of the first editions of 'The Silmarillion' and 'Unfinished Tales' for the convenience of readers who want to chase down Christopher's references. Reversible jackets give you the option of either the chaste graphics of the first UK edition or the dramatic paintings commissioned from John Howe for the paperbacks. Howe's art is also used on the luxurious slipcases. (The first of them was a little tight, but the other three are perfect.)Some of us regret that HarperCollins chose not to release these books in a deluxe edition. It would have been nice to have had acid-free paper, a fancy binding, silk bookmarks and some more John Howe paintings! But one mustn't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. This box set and its three predecessors deserve a place on the shelves of any serious Tolkien collector.