Go on a beautifully illustrated journey through the Second Age of Middle-earth’s history.

The Second Age has long been a “dark age” for readers of J. R. R. Tolkien, as none of his fiction provides an all-encompassing narrative of the events of that 3,500-year period of Middle-earth’s history. Only through the efforts of Tolkien’s son Christopher has the public been able to appreciate the full grandeur of the Second Age, which is revealed in Tolkien’s meticulous notes and unfinished works. The Second Age is made up of two great narrative channels: on the one hand the rise and cataclysmic downfall of the island kingdom of Númenor and its aftermath, and on the other the forging of the Rings of Power and the rise of the new dark lord, Sauron. Illustrated World of Tolkien: The Second Age includes more than 120 illustrations depicting the characters and events of this period—along with insightful commentary from renowned Tolkien scholar David Day—making it an essential addition to the library of every Lord of the Rings fan.

This work is unofficial and is not authorized by the Tolkien Estate or HarperCollins Publishers.

David Day was born and raised in Victoria, B.C. He has lived in Britain, Greece, Spain and currently Toronto. He is poet and author of over forty books of poetry, ecology, history, natural history, fantasy, mythology, and fiction. He has also written for theatre, television, ballet, national and international newspapers and magazines. He has written a dozen books of natural history and ecology, including: The Doomsday Book of Animals (named a Time Magazine ‘Book of the Year’), The Whale War, Eco Wars, and most recently NEVERMORE: A Book of Hours. He has also writetn a book of ecology for children, Noah’s Choice: True Stories of Extinction and Survival. Although best known internationally for his best-selling books on fantasy and mythology, such as A Tolkien Bestiary, Castles, Tolkien’s Ring, The Hobbit Companion and Quest for King Arthur; David Day has also written ten children’s picture books, including: The Sleeper, The Swan Children, The Big Lie, Aska’s Animals, Tippu and The King of the Woods. His books – for both adults and children – have been translated into twenty languages. Eric Beddows is an artist and illustrator working in Stratford, Ontario. He has won numerous awards for his illustrations, including the Governor General's Award for The Rooster's Gift, the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award for the Zoom books, and the International Ezra Jack Keats Award bronze medal. For The Emperor’s Panda, he won the IBBY International Books for Young People Illustrator’s Book of the Year (Canada) Award. Eric is currently writing and illustrating a trilogy of tales of the Northern Gothic to be entitled Thistledown Stories.

David Day's profile page

This book invites browsing and Tolkien enthusiasts will enjoy the literary journey.

Booklist