This absorbing insight into the mind behind Middle-earth will introduce or remind readers of the abundance that exists in Tolkien's thought and imagination. Interweaving sections explore The Lord of the Rings and its history; the key themes, concepts and images in Tolkein's work; the people and places in his life, and his other writings. At the heart of the book is an indispensible A-Z of middle-earth, with detailed entries on Beings, Places, Things and Events.
Colin Duriez has also written Tolkien and C. S. Lewis; The Story of Their Friendship, The C. S. Lewis Encyclopedia (described by Walter Hooper, literary advisor to the C.S. Lewis estate, as one of the most useful books I know. I look for excuses to read it (Azure 2002) and the Inklings Handbook (with David Porter). He lives in Leicester.