A stunning three-volume deluxe slipcased box set of the three "Great Tales" of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien and illustrated throughout by acclaimed Tolkien artist, Alan Lee. It features exclusive new paintings appearing for the first time, together with three removable art cards and two foldout maps drawn by Christopher Tolkien.
THE CHILDREN OF HÚRIN
Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwells in the vast fortress of Angband in the North; and within the shadow of the fear of Angband, and the war waged by Morgoth against the Elves, the fates of Túrin and his sister will be tragically entwined. Their brief and passionate lives are dominated by the elemental hatred that Morgoth bears them as the children of Húrin, the man who dared defy him to his face. Against them Morgoth sends his most formidable servant, Glaurung, a powerful spirit in the form of a huge wingless dragon of fire, in an attempt to fulfill his curse and destroy the children of Húrin.
BEREN AND LÚTHIEN
Deeply opposed to the marriage of Beren, a mortal man, to his daughter Lúthien, the great Elvish lord, Thingol, imposes an impossible task that Beren must perform before they might wed. Undaunted by Lord Thingol’s challenge, Beren and Lúthien embark on the supremely heroic attempt to rob Morgoth, the greatest of all evil beings, of a Silmaril, one of the hallowed jewels that adorn the Black Enemy’s crown.
THE FALL OF GONDOLIN
Central to the enmity of two of the greatest powers in the world – Morgoth and Ulmo – is the Elvish city of Gondolin, beautiful but undiscoverable. Turgon King of Gondolin is hated and feared above all his enemies by Morgoth, who seeks in vain to discover the marvellously hidden city, while the gods in Valinor largely refuse to support Ulmo. Into this world comes Tuor, cousin of Túrin, the instrument of Ulmo's designs. Guided unseen by him Tuor sets out on the fearful journey to Gondolin, where he becomes great; he is wedded to Idril, Turgon's daughter, and their son is Eärendel, whose birth and profound importance in days to come is foreseen by Ulmo. Then Morgoth learns through an act of supreme treachery all that he needs to mount a devastating attack on the city, with Balrogs and dragons and numberless Orcs.
This deluxe box set of these beautifully illustrated works features brand-new cover designs by the artist. Each volume is quarter-bound and has additionally been enhanced for the first time with sprayed edges. They are housed in a custom-built cloth slipcase stamped in silver foil with motifs and a hidden artwork created exclusively by Alan Lee, and accompanied by three removable art cards plus two foldout maps of Beleriand drawn by Christopher Tolkien.
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over sixty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.
Christopher Tolkien (1924–2020) was the third son of J.R.R. Tolkien. Appointed by Tolkien to be his literary executor, he devoted himself to the editing and publication of unpublished writings, notably The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and The History of Middle-earth.
ALAN LEE was born in Middlesex in 1947. His illustrated books include
Faeries (with Brian Froud),
Castles and Merlin Dreams, and the three ‘Great Tales’ of Middle-earth:
The Children of Húrin,
Beren and
Lúthien, and
The Fall of Gondolin. He has worked on such prestigious films as
Erik the Viking (Terry Gilliam),
Legend (Ridley Scott), and the acclaimed NBC miniseries
Merlin. He is best known, however, for his work on the books
The Hobbit and
The Lord of the Rings, and now the film versions.
