J.R.R. Tolkien at Top Ten Books

OUR PICK - The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún is a previously unpublished work by J.R.R. Tolkien, written while Tolkien was Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford during the 1920s and ‘30s, before he wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It makes available for the first time Tolkien’s extensive retelling in English narrative verse of the epic Norse tales of Sigurd the Völsung and The Fall of the Niflungs. It includes an introduction by J.R.R. Tolkien, drawn from one of his own lectures on Norse literature, with commentary and notes on the poems by Christopher Tolkien.

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EDITORS CHOICE - The Hobbit: or, There and Back Again

The Hobbit: or, There and Back Again (Collector's Edition) by J.R.R. Tolkien

This is a beautiful bound edition of Tolkien's classic "The Hobbit". Illustrated with a slip cover case.

- This deluxe collector's edition of Tolkien's modern classic is boxed and bound in green leatherette with gold and red foil rune stamping on the spine and cover. The text pages are printed in black with green accents. It includes five full page illustrations in full color and many more in two color in addition to Thror's map -- all prepared by the author. J.R.R. Tolkien's own description for the original edition: "If you care for journeys there and back, out of the comfortable Western world, over the edge of the Wild, and home again, and can take an interest in a humble hero (blessed with a little wisdom and a little courage and considerable good luck), here is a record of such a journey and such a traveler. The period is the ancient time between the age of Faerie and the dominion of men, when the famous forest of Mirkwood was still standing, and the mountains were full of danger. In following the path of this humble adventurer, you will learn by the way (as he did) -- if you do not already know all about these things -- much about trolls, goblins, dwarves, and elves, and get some glimpses into the history and politics of a neglected but important period. For Mr. Bilbo Baggins visited various notable persons; conversed with the dragon, Smaug the Magnificent; and was present, rather unwillingly, at the Battle of the Five Armies. This is all the more remarkable, since he was a hobbit. Hobbits have hitherto been passed over in history and legend, perhaps because they as a rule preferred comfort to excitement. But this account, based on his personal memoirs, of the one exciting year in the otherwise quiet life of Mr. Baggins will give you a fair idea of the estimable people now (it is said) becoming rather rare. They do not like noise.""In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

The hobbit-hole in question belongs to one Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of a "little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves." He is, like most of his kind, well off, well fed, and best pleased when sitting by his own fire with a pipe, a glass of good beer, and a meal to look forward to. Certainly this particular hobbit is the last person one would expect to see set off on a hazardous journey; indeed, when Gandalf the Grey stops by one morning, "looking for someone to share in an adventure," Baggins fervently wishes the wizard elsewhere. No such luck, however; soon 13 fortune-seeking dwarves have arrived on the hobbit's doorstep in search of a burglar, and before he can even grab his hat or an umbrella, Bilbo Baggins is swept out his door and into a dangerous adventure.

The dwarves' goal is to return to their ancestral home in the Lonely Mountains and reclaim a stolen fortune from the dragon Smaug. Along the way, they and their reluctant companion meet giant spiders, hostile elves, ravening wolves--and, most perilous of all, a subterranean creature named Gollum from whom Bilbo wins a magical ring in a riddling contest. It is from this life-or-death game in the dark that J.R.R. Tolkien's masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, would eventually spring. Though The Hobbit is lighter in tone than the trilogy that follows, it has, like Bilbo Baggins himself, unexpected iron at its core. Don't be fooled by its fairy-tale demeanor; this is very much a story for adults, though older children will enjoy it, too. By the time Bilbo returns to his comfortable hobbit-hole, he is a different person altogether, well primed for the bigger adventures to come--and so is the reader. --Alix Wilber
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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
(1892 - 1973)

J.R.R. Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa January 3, 1892. After his father died, he moved from the Orange Tree State to Great Britain at the age of three. J.R.R. Tolkien entered Exeter College in 1911 and graduated with both his Bachelors and Masters Degree in 1919. A few years after graduation, J.R.R. Tolkien took a position as Professor of Anglo Saxon at Oxford and as Fellow of Pembroke College. From 1925 until his retirement in 1959, he was an Oxford professor, ultimately Merton Professor of English Language and Literature and fellow of Merton College. J.R.R. Tolkien specialized in language and linguistics and was considered an authority on Anglo Saxon, Middle English and Chaucer. His studies concentrated on Beowulf and Sir Gwain and the Green Knight which later lead to the heroic sagas of his own.

J.R.R. Tolkien's first book, The Hobbit, was very well received in 1937. It was almost twenty years later that he finished the sequel, The Lord of the Rings, in 1956 and 1957. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was written as an exercise in "linguistic aesthetics" and to illustrate a 1938 University of Glasgow lecture on fairy tales . Tolkien felt that true fairy tales have a common thread where... "However wild its events, however fantastic or terrible the adventures, it can give to child or man that hears it, when the 'turn' comes, a catch of breath, a beat and lifting of the heart, near to (or indeed accompanied by) tears, as keen as that given by any form of literary art, and having a peculiar quality." The "Fellowship of the Ring", the first book in the trilogy, was published in 1954. The trilogy was interpreted in many different ways, ranging from a story based on Tolkien's World War One experiences to a Christian allegory or perhaps one of the last great works of the Middle Ages. Tolkien denied that it was an allegory commenting "I don't like allegories. I never liked Hans Christian Anderson because I felt that he was always getting at me...if you really want to know what Middle Earth is based on , it's my wonder and delight in the Earth as it is, particularly the natural Earth".

In 1967, Professor Tolkien published another book, Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham. The Simarillion was posthumously published in 1977. J.R.R. Tolkien also authored and illustrated a children's holiday book, "Letters from Father Christmas". J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works have been published in twenty five languages and attracted legions of devoted readers.

In 2001, New Line Cinema released the first of three films of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. Directed by Peter Jackson, the total cost of the complete film series is expected to be US$270 million. The three films were made concurrently in New Zealand with an international cast including Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett and Christopher Lee. Early reviews of the movie are very positive. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine picked The Fellowship of the Ring as the year's best film in his Top Ten List before the film's official premiere. The second film, The Two Towers, is expected to be released in December 2002 with The Return of the King premiering in December 2003.

J.R.R. Tolkien on DVD

J. R. R. Tolkien - This film tells the story of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, English writer, poet, philologist and author of many stories, including most famously The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It describes the importance of the rural English West Midlands, where Tolkien grew up, in shaping his literary imagination and how the ancient northern languages he studied and taught throughout his life influenced his writing. These factors stimulated him to provide a context in which his own, invented languages might be spoken: an imaginary land called Middle-earth. Accounts of the origins of The Hobbit and of The Lord of the Rings, and the phenomenal success that Tolkien somewhat reluctantly enjoyed when taken up by the counter-culture of the 1960s are included.

Narrator: Juliet Aubrey
The Hobbit Performed by Rob Inglis
Readings by Chris Villiers
Produced and Directed by Julian Birkett
Series Editor: Michael Poole
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J.R.R. Tolkien - The Origin of the Rings - Despite its obvious attempt to capitalize on Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring, this "unauthorized tribute" to Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien offers an adequate primer on the life and works of history's most beloved fantasy author. Tolkien biographer Michael Coren lends academic credibility, along with fantasy artists, lesser-known film critics, and other nominal "experts" who comment on Tolkien's vast influence. The majority of this material is well-documented and informative, and Tolkien neophytes will find it interesting. Then, as fast as you can say "snake oil," this video betrays its greedy motivations, showing bogus "behind the scenes" video of an anonymous production (i.e., not the Jackson film), and jumping on the Fellowship bandwagon with cheesy reenactments, parallels to Star Trek fandom, and innocuous speculation about the Jackson film's then-unseen merits. Interviews with Tolkien family members are not included as promised, so viewers are advised to ignore everything but the legitimate factual material. --Jeff Shannon
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J.R.R. Tolkien Animated Films Set (The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings/The Return of the King) - Animated versions of three Tolkien classics: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Return of the King.The Hobbit
The J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy classic set in Middle-earth was adapted into this excellent 1978 animated feature first broadcast on television. Codirectors Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr., working from a script by Romeo Muller, are faithful to Tolkien's story and for that alone they get big points. The vocal cast can't be improved upon: Orson Bean is perfect as Bilbo Baggins, the timorous hobbit who grows brave on his adventure with the wizard Gandalf (John Huston). Otto Preminger is the voice of Elvenking, Richard Boone is Smaug, Hans Conried is Thorin, and Brother Theodore is very effective as the weird Gollum. Terrific for kids and adults alike. --Tom Keogh

The Lord of the Rings
Although it was ultimately overshadowed by Peter Jackson's live-action Lord of the Rings trilogy, Ralph Bakshi's animated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy classic is not without charms of its own. A target of derision from intolerant fans, this ambitious 1978 production is nevertheless a respectably loyal attempt to animate the first half of Tolkien's trilogy, beginning with the hobbit Frodo's inheritance of the One Ring of power from Bilbo Baggins, and ending with the wizard Gandalf's triumph over the evil army of Orcs. While the dialogue is literate and superbly voiced by a prestigious cast (including John Hurt as Aragorn), Leonard Roseman's accomplished score effectively matches the ominous atmosphere that Bakshi's animation creates and sustains. Bakshi's lamentable decision to combine traditional cel animation with "rotoscoped" (i.e., meticulously traced) live-action footage is jarringly distracting and aesthetically disastrous, but when judged by its narrative content, this Lord of the Rings deserves more credit than it typically receives. --Jeff Shannon

The Return of the King
The creative team behind 1978's impressive animation feature based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit returns with this 1980 entry drawn from Tolkien's famous Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's good work all around, and not at all the kind of feature-length cartoon that reduces good books to treacle. Orson Bean returns as the voice of Bilbo Baggins as well as that of the trilogy's hero, Frodo. John Huston is commanding again as the voice of the wizard Gandalf, and also in the vocal cast are William Conrad, Paul Frees, and Roddy McDowall. --Tom Keogh
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Visual Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Two Towers - Like the previously released DVD Master of the Rings, Secrets of Middle-Earth: Inside Tolkien's "The Two Towers" delivers all that it promises and more. Perfect for home or classroom viewing, this hour-long, British-made program begins enticingly with archival film of Tolkien describing his serendipitous creation of The Hobbit. What follows is a thorough survey of the second volume of The Lord of the Rings, spanning every aspect of The Two Towers, from geography (via computer-animated maps of Middle-earth), language, dominant themes, cultures and races, character development, and literary influence. Host Grant McTavish may seem a bit too solemn, but the program is so densely informative that any quibbles (such as occasional redundancy) are easily forgiven. Preeminent Tolkien authority Michael Stanton and historian David Doughan provide astute analysis, complemented by the popular artwork (also compiled in a separate gallery) of veteran Tolkien illustrators the brothers Hildebrandt. Other highlights include audio clips of Tolkien reading from The Two Towers (who could do it better?), making this a worthy appreciation of Tolkien's timeless literary legacy. --Jeff Shannon
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The Standard Deviants - Rings, Kings & Things (Monsters & Mayhem / Swords & Sorcery) - Prepare to enter an age when the world was ruled by wise kings, valiant warriors and terrifying monsters, and the power of magic united entire kingdoms. This is the world of ancient myths, heroic epic poems, and modern fantasy literature. Contains Swords & Sorcery and Monsters & Mayhem.
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Secrets of Middle-Earth - Inside Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" (4-Pack) - Discover the secrets of Middle-earth on a unique journey into the heart of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. With amazing new insights into Tolkien by international authorities, this four-disc set takes you deeper into these great books than ever before. Using the latest advanced mapping techniques and the fantastic art of the brothers Hildebrandt, these magical programs bring the lands and folk of Middle-earth spectacularly to life and reveal the intricate themes and influences that shaped this extraordinary epic. EXTRA FEATURES: The Brothers Hildebrandt and the Art of Middle-earth. Mostly Autumn: Music Inspired by the Lord of the Rings.Tolkien: His Life and Work DISC ONE Inside Tolkien's The Hobbit DISC TWOI nside Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring DISC THREE Inside Tolkien's The Two Towers DISC FOUR Inside Tolkien's The Return of the King
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J.R.R. Tolkien and the Birth of The Lord of the Rings - In a house in Oxford lived a remarkable man called J.R.R. Tolkien who told stories that thrilled the world. To this very day readers and film audiences are enjoying his magnificent epic THE LORD OF THE RINGS and, although everybody has heard of Tolkien’s writing, very few people could tell you much about the man responsible for creating the best loved magical creatures that have become household names.

This program will give you a real insight into the man behind the legends of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and the people and places that shaped his unique literary genius. From the rolling English countryside to the sooty streets of Industrial Birmingham, the dreaming spires of Oxford to the World War I trenches of the blood soaked Somme; this is the story of the quintessential English College Professor who made epic mythology and legend accessible to one and all.

LEARN THESE AND MORE FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT TOLKIEN AND HIS INSPIRATIONS FOR HIS GREAT LITERARY WORKS : * The huge cult status of The Lord Of The Rings did not fully evolve until some years after Tolkien’s death. * Gamgee (as in Sam Gamgee) came from a local word meaning cotton wool. * The inspiration for Gandolph was a postcard picturing a mountain spirit with a long white beard, wide-brimmed hat and long cloak. * Tolkien was inspired by Andrew Lang’s The Red Fairy Book. * Greek and other mystical languages fascinated Tolkien, so he studied the history of linguistics while at Oxford. * One of his literary companions was C.S. Lewis, author of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe.

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J.R.R. Tolkien - Master of the Rings - The Definitive Guide to the World of the Rings - This comprehensive survey of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is billed as "the definitive guide to the world of the Rings," and it delivers what it promises. Hosted by Tolkien scholar Robert Di Napoli, the 80-minute documentary is academic without being dry or pretentious, covering such aspects of the Tolkien epic as its literary influences (including Beowulf), character and plot analysis, inspirations on other arts (such as the progressive rock of the 1970s), and enduring popularity. While Tolkien's fiction is spectacularly visualized in the artwork of the Hildebrandt brothers and Roger Dean, an impressive variety of Tolkien experts--from literary scholar Helen Kidd to former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman--offer eloquent insight into the value of Tolkien's writing. A Hildebrandt gallery is included on the DVD, along with supplemental interview clips to expand on previous discussions and further examine Tolkien's lasting influence. Altogether, this is an eminently respectable study that any Rings fan will readily appreciate. --Jeff Shannon
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Secrets of Middle-Earth - Inside Tolkien's "The Return of the King" - Illustrated with the art of the Brothers Hildebrandt, the foremost fantasy artists of our time, and featuring the insights of world-renowned experts, this magical and entertaining series unlocks the mysteries of Tolkien's epic.
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Secrets of Middle-Earth - Inside Tolkien's "The Two Towers" [VHS] - Like the previously released DVD Master of the Rings, Secrets of Middle-Earth: Inside Tolkien's "The Two Towers" delivers all that it promises and more. Perfect for home or classroom viewing, this hour-long, British-made program begins enticingly with archival film of Tolkien describing his serendipitous creation of The Hobbit. What follows is a thorough survey of the second volume of The Lord of the Rings, spanning every aspect of The Two Towers, from geography (via computer-animated maps of Middle-earth), language, dominant themes, cultures and races, character development, and literary influence. Host Grant McTavish may seem a bit too solemn, but the program is so densely informative that any quibbles (such as occasional redundancy) are easily forgiven. Preeminent Tolkien authority Michael Stanton and historian David Doughan provide astute analysis, complemented by the popular artwork (also compiled in a separate gallery) of veteran Tolkien illustrators the brothers Hildebrandt. Other highlights include audio clips of Tolkien reading from The Two Towers (who could do it better?), making this a worthy appreciation of Tolkien's timeless literary legacy. --Jeff Shannon
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Lord of the Rings Video Games

Lord of the Rings: Conquest - The Lord of the Rings: Conquest puts you into the thick of the tremendous battle over The One Ring, playing out battles from both sides of the confrontation! Conquest will let you take control of many of the characters and creatures from the series and pit them on any of the franchise's famous battlefields. From Cave-trolls to Oliphaunts to the Balrog and even Sauron, practically the entire universe will be available for battle with up to 150 characters on-screen at any one time. Up to 16 players will be able to clash online, with four players able to play cooperatively through the main campaign either online or via four-player split-screen. And with two distinct campaigns to play through, including an original take on what would happen if Sauron regained control of the One Ring, the game promises plenty of scenarios to wage battle through. Features actual film content, such as the music score & Elrond himselfMiddle-Earth stands on the brink of destruction, and you must unite to either save it, or destroy it, in The Lord of the Rings: Conquest. With every race bound to this fate, all you have to decide is what to do with the time given to you, and choose your allegiance.

Building off the model Pandemic used with Star Wars: Battlefront, Lord of the Rings: Conquest provides you with a first and/or third person shooter style of game that not only lets you command strategy, but also lets you control the players in the center of the action. Participate in the Battle of Isengard as an Ent or fight Saruman at Orthanc as Gandalf himself. Take on the Nazgul as Aragorn while still protecting Frodo, or battle at Pelennor as a Rohirrim cavalry soldier. And that is just for the good guys!

In Conquest you will have to play many different characters in order to win. And it isn't always such a balanced match, as you will find yourself destroying towering siege engines and taking on hulking oliphaunts with your companions. You can choose to play all the heroes you love, or fight as a Nazgul tasked with killing Frodo and stretch your powerful wings as the Balrog himself in your battle for Moria.

Pick Your Own Style of Play
In the game, you'll be able to play as one of four different character classes. Choose the melee-based Warrior or Scout for up-close action, or pick the Archer or Mage to perform devastating ranged attacks. There is also talk of a 'special' class called the Guardian to give gamers a third choice. But don't worry about getting locked in, as you can actually change which character class you're playing on the fly, in the middle of the game's various objective-based missions.

Each class of characters has its own strengths and weaknesses, as well as unique special abilities. Playable units range from grunt soldiers, which are the weakest, to captains, which are the strongest AI units in the game other than the heroes. You also get to order in air strikes using either eagles or fellbeasts. Even better, players will be able to mount the occasional horse, unless they've chosen evil, in which case they will have to master the skill of riding a fearsome warg.

Multiple Modes for Endless Fun
As in Battlefront, Lord of the Rings: Conquest has enormous competitive multiplayer modes, including Conquest, Capture the Flag, and Hero Deathmatch. In addition to these classics, Conquest adds a Ring Bearer mode, in which one player tries to stay alive as Frodo against a host of ringwraiths, and Stronghold in which you fight on various maps in a Risk-style battle for territories. Fortunately, you won't be limited to roaming around with only your teammates, however, as battles occur in large scale with non-player combatants joining in the fray.

Conquest allows online play with up to 16 players for massive battles with all your friends, or in two-player cooperative mode. Players can also play locally with up to four players competitively, or two-player co-op on a split screen. When in the game itself, fans will get the thrill of hearing Howard Shore's score for the films accompanying the action, and both good and evil campaigns are narrated by Hugo Weaving, who played Elrond in the movies.

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Lord of the Rings: Conquest - In this exciting, action strategy game, players fight on the side of both Good and Evil in all the biggest battles from The Lord of the Rings movies. The Battlefront format allows them to switch between characters at will, to suit the circumstance or their style, reliving and even reinventing the chaotic and engrossing conflicts from the films as they choose how best to tackle their objectives and defeat their enemies. In online multiplayer, gamers can choose to be Evil from the outset. A massive cast of characters & weapons adds great depth to the game play - Heroes, Wargs, Ents, Oliphaunts, Cave-trolls, the Balrog, Nazgul, and ballistaeMiddle-Earth stands on the brink of destruction, and you must unite to either save it, or destroy it, in The Lord of the Rings: Conquest. With every race bound to this fate, all you have to decide is what to do with the time given to you, and choose your allegiance.

Each class of characters has its own strengths and weaknesses, as well as unique special abilities. Playable units range from grunt soldiers, which are the weakest, to captains, which are the strongest AI units in the game besides the heroes. You also get to order in air strikes using either eagles or fellbeasts. Even better, players will be able to mount the occasional horse, unless they've chosen evil, in which case they will have to master the skill of riding a fearsome warg.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II - Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth II allows you to continue the adventure as you battle the forces of Mordor. Wage war in the North and assume command of the most storied civilizations in all of Middle-Earth history: The Elven and Dwarven armies. You can also choose to fight on the side of Evil with heroes and creatures that have never been seen in The Lord of the Rings films. Defend or overtake never before seen lands such as Dol Guldur, The Misty Mountains, and Mirkwood as you unleash powerful new weapons and abilities - summon dragons, cause volcanoes to erupt, or bring down a cataclysmic lightning strike. Create your own hero with in-game avatars & customized RTS units
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The Lord of the Rings: Conquest - Get into the thick of a tremendous battle. The Lord of the Rings: Conquest plays out battles from both sides of the confrontation. Take control of many of the characters and creatures from the series and pit them on any of the franchise's famous battlefields. From Cave-trolls to Oliphaunts to the Balrog and even Sauron, practically the entire universe will be available for battle with up to 150 characters on-screen at any one time. Up to 16 players will be able to clash online, with four players able to play cooperatively through the main campaign either online or via four-player split-screen. And with two distinct campaigns to play through, including an original take on what would happen if Sauron regained control of the One Ring, the game promises plenty of scenarios to wage battle through.

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Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King brings the incredible adaptation of the classic Tolkien novel to life. Become the heroes who determine the fate of Middle-earth as you defend Middle-Earth and destroy the One Ring. Return to Middle-Earth in the only Video game based on the epic final chapter of the highly-acclaimed movie trilogy!
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The Lord of the Rings: Mines of Moria - The 2007 PC MMO Game of the Year returns with an all-new breakthrough title! The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria drops you into the dark majesty of the world beneath Middle-earth. Explore a truly vast underground environment like you’ve never seen before. Battle the terrors of the Nameless Deep with new legendary items that evolve and grow in power as you do. Experience the dread and wonder of Moria as one of the new Rune-keeper and Warden classes. Achieve greatness as you seek to claim the knowledge and power lost for generations! This Complete Edition includes the original title Shadows of Angmar, all content updates, plus the Mines of Moria expansion.
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The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth 2 - Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II gives you a chance to experience all that Middle-Earth was meant to be. Delve deeper than ever before into the fictional world of Tolkien, as you wage war in the North. Assume command of the most storied civilizations in all of Middle-earth history, the Elven and Dwarven armies -- or if you prefer, fight on the side of Evil to aid Sauron in his conquest. Fight with or against heroes and creatures that have never been seen in The Lord of the Rings films! Control battles with all-new enemy AI, melee combat, and unprecedented tactical fidelity Build anywhere brings creativity and strategy to base building and battlefield dominance Control the entire war with a high level Risk style meta-game Larger-than-life naval battles
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The Lord Of The Rings: Shadows Of Angmar - The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar is an authentic recreation of Middle-Earth. In this massive multiplayer online game, you'll explore legendary lands & interact with famous characters like Gandalf and Aragorn. Create your own heroic story as the Fellowship embarks on their quest to destroy the One Ring. Defend the Free Peoples against Sauron's evil minion, the Nazgul Witch-King. Adventure solo or forge fellowships, battle hideous monsters and rise to fame in the most epic MMO ever launched.

The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar puts you into the greatest fantasy of all time. For the first time, you can immerse yourself in the only authentic recreation of Middle-Earth to explore legendary lands, interact with famous characters like Gandalf and Aragorn, and create your own heroic story. The War of the Ring has commenced! As the Fellowship embarks on their quest to destroy the One Ring, you must defend the Free Peoples against Sauron's evil minion, the Nazgul Witch-King. Adventure solo or forge fellowships, battle hideous monsters and rise to fame in the most epic MMO ever launched.

FEATURES

Epic Storyline - The Lord of the Rings Online is the only MMO based on the extensive and beloved fantasy universe of J.R.R. Tolkien, and the first MMO to provide a compelling story behind players' actions. It is the original epic world that serves as the source for all other "me too" fantasy games.
Unique Combat and Advancement Systems - The Lord of the Rings Online implements unique game mechanics which surpass skills and levels to include accomplishment, traits and titles to help you gain experience in a variety of ways and to advance your character beyond traditional grinding.
Monster Battles - Jump in as a monster and battle against other gamers in a fast, action-packed session of monster vs. player combat.
Innovative Social Networking - The Lord of the Rings Online takes social networking tools to the next level. Besides in-game mail, chat, crafting and guild management tools, The Lord of the Rings Online uses next-generation features like integrated voice chat, instant messaging and automatically updated web pages with your characters' in-game stats. These innovative tools engage players, facilitate real-time communication and encourage community.

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The Lord of the Rings Battle for Middle Earth Anthology - Command the legendary heroes and armies of legend in Lord of The Rings: Battle For Middle Earth Anthology. Your goal is to step into a new world, one taken from the books & films. Wage all-out combat against either the forces of good or the armies of evil, controlling troops and managing resources. The fate of a continent is your hands! Includes Battle For Middle Earth I & II, plus the Rise Of The Witch-King expansion.

Lord of the Rings: Battle For Middle Earth features: Single-player story campaign takes you to previously unseen Middle-Earth places and battles - Dol Guldur, The Misty Mountains and Mirkwood Control battles with all-new enemy AI, melee combat, and flanking, adding unprecedented tactical fidelity Extend your battlefield with larger than life battles at sea Create your own hero with in-game avatars & customized RTS units Unleash powerful new weapons and abilities - summon dragons, cause volcanoes to erupt, or bring down a cataclysmic lightning strikeLord of the Rings - The Rise of the Witch-King features - Lead an evil faction's invasion of Arnor, home of Aragorn's ancestors Play the new Angmar faction in skirmish, multiplayer, and War of the Ring modes Upgraded Create-A-Hero features - New roll class boasts additional weapons and armor, for more customization War of the Ring - A Risk like meta-game offering upgraded army persistence, a new siege dynamic on the Living World Map and unified territories that serve as major control points All-new content from Tolkien's original stories, delving deeper than ever into the story behind the award-winning movie trilogy
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Lord of the Rings: Conquest - The Lord of the Rings: Conquest puts you into the thick of the tremendous battle over The One Ring, playing out battles from both sides of the confrontation! Conquest will let you take control of many of the characters and creatures from the series and pit them on any of the franchise's famous battlefields. From Cave-trolls to Oliphaunts to the Balrog and even Sauron, practically the entire universe will be available for battle with up to 150 characters on-screen at any one time. Up to 16 players will be able to clash online, with four players able to play cooperatively through the main campaign either online or via four-player split-screen. And with two distinct campaigns to play through, including an original take on what would happen if Sauron regained control of the One Ring, the game promises plenty of scenarios to wage battle through. Features actual film content, such as the music score & Elrond himself
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J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit: 70th Anniversary Edition by J.R.R. Tolkien -

A new edition of The Hobbit with a short introduction by Christopher Tolkien, a reset text incorporating the most up-to-date corrections, and all of Tolkien’s own drawings and color illustrations, including the rare “Mirkwood” piece.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

The Lord of the Rings: 50th Anniversary, One Vol. Edition by J.R.R. Tolkien -

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins.

From Sauron's fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings to him, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion.

When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom.

The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.

This new edition includes the fiftieth-anniversary fully corrected text setting and, for the first time, an extensive new index.

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973), beloved throughout the world as the creator of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, a fellow of Pembroke College, and a fellow of Merton College until his retirement in 1959. His chief interest was the linguistic aspects of the early English written tradition, but while he studied classic works of the past, he was creating a set of his own.

Praise for The Lord of the Rings

"An extraordinary work -- pure excitement." -- New York Times Book Review

"One of the great fairy-tale quests in modern literature." -- Time

"A remarkable book." -- Newsweek

"One of the very few works of genius in recent literature." -- New Republic

"A work of immense narrative power that can sweep the reader up and hold him enthralled for days and weeks." -- The Nation

"Here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron." -- C. S. Lewis

"The first thing one asks of an adventure story is that the adventure should be various and exciting . . . Tolkien's invention is unflagging." -- W. H. Auden

"J.R.R. Tolkien's epic trilogy remains the ultimate quest, the ultimate battle between good and evil, the ultimate chronicle of stewardship of the earth. Endlessly imitated, it never has been surpassed." -- Kansas City Star

"A masterful story . . . an epic in its own way . . . with elements of high adventure, suspense, mystery, poetry, and fantasy." -- Boston Sunday Herald

A Christian can almost be forgiven for not reading the Bible, but there's no salvation for a fantasy fan who hasn't read the gospel of the genre, J.R.R. Tolkien's definitive three-book epic, the Lord of the Rings (encompassing The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King), and its charming precursor, The Hobbit. That many (if not most) fantasy works are in some way derivative of Tolkien is understood, but the influence of the Lord of the Rings is so universal that everybody from George Lucas to Led Zeppelin has appropriated it for one purpose or another.

Not just revolutionary because it was groundbreaking, the Lord of the Rings is timeless because it's the product of a truly top-shelf mind. Tolkien was a distinguished linguist and Oxford scholar of dead languages, with strong ideas about the importance of myth and story and a deep appreciation of nature. His epic, 10 years in the making, recounts the Great War of the Ring and the closing of Middle-Earth's Third Age, a time when magic begins to fade from the world and men rise to dominance. Tolkien carefully details this transition with tremendous skill and love, creating in the Lord of the Rings a universal and all-embracing tale, a justly celebrated classic. --Paul Hughes
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The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun Deluxe Edition by J.R.R. Tolkien -

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The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien -

The Children of Húrin is the first complete book by J.R.R.Tolkien since the 1977 publication of The Silmarillion. Six thousand years before the One Ring is destroyed, Middle-earth lies under the shadow of the Dark Lord Morgoth. The greatest warriors among elves and men have perished, and all is in darkness and despair. But a deadly new leader rises, Túrin, son of Húrin, and with his grim band of outlaws begins to turn the tide in the war for Middle-earth -- awaiting the day he confronts his destiny and the deadly curse laid upon him.

The paperback edition of The Children of Húrin includes eight color paintings by Alan Lee and a black-and-white map.

The first complete book by J.R.R. Tolkien in three decades--since the publication of The Silmarillion in 1977--The Children of Húrin reunites fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, dragons and Dwarves, Eagles and Orcs. Presented for the first time as a complete, standalone story, this stirring narrative will appeal to casual fans and expert readers alike, returning them to the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien.

Adam Tolkien on The Children of Húrin

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The Legend Of Sigurd And Gudrún by J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien - The world first publication of a previously unknown work by J.R.R. Tolkien, which tells the epic story of the Norse hero, Sigurd, the dragon-slayer, the revenge of his wife, Gudrun, and the Fall of the Nibelungs.

"Many years ago, J.R.R. Tolkien composed his own version, now published for the first time, of the great legend of Northern antiquity, in two closely related poems to which he gave the titles The New Lay of the Volsungs and The New Lay of Gudrun. "In the Lay of the Volsungs is told the ancestry of the great hero Sigurd, the slayer of Fafnir most celebrated of dragons, whose treasure he took for his own; of his awakening of the Valkyrie Brynhild who slept surrounded by a wall of fire, and of their betrothal; and of his coming to the court of the great princes who were named the Niflungs (or Nibelungs), with whom he entered into blood-brotherhood. In that court there sprang great love but also great hate, brought about by the power of the enchantress, mother of the Niflungs, skilled in the arts of magic, of shape-changing and potions of forgetfulness. "In scenes of dramatic intensity, of confusion of identity, thwarted passion, jealousy and bitter strife, the tragedy of Sigurd and Brynhild, of Gunnar the Niflung and Gudrun his sister, mounts to its end in the murder of Sigurd at the hands of his blood-brothers, the suicide of Brynhild, and the despair of Gudrun. In the Lay of Gudrun her fate after the death of Sigurd is told, her marriage against her will to the mighty Atli, ruler of the Huns (the Attila of history), his murder of her brothers the Niflung lords, and her hideous revenge. "Deriving his version primarily from his close study of the ancient poetry of Norway and Iceland known as the Poetic Edda (and where no old poetry exists, from the later prose work the V?lsunga Saga), J.R.R. Tolkien employed a verse-form of short stanzas whose lines embody in English the exacting alliterative rhythms and the concentrated energy of the poems of the Edda." - Christopher Tolkien

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The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien -

Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power - the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring - the ring that rules them all - which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose. J.R.R. Tolkien's great work of imaginative fiction has been labelled both a heroic romance and a classic fantasy fiction. By turns comic and homely, epic and diabolic, the narrative moves through countless changes of scene and character in an imaginary world which is totally convincing in its detail.

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The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien -

The tales of The Silmarillion were the underlying inspiration and source of J.R.R. Tolkien's imaginative writing; he worked on the book throughout his life but never brought it to a final form. Long preceding in its origins The Lord of the Rings, it is the story of the First Age of Tolkien's world, the ancient drama to which characters in The Lord of the RIngs look back and in which some of them, such as Elrond and Galadriel, took part.

The title Silmarillion is shortened from Quenta Silmarillion, "The History of the Silmarils," the three great jewels created by Feanor, most gifted of the Elves, in which he imprisoned the light of the Two Trees that illumined Valinor, the land of the gods. When Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, destroyed the Trees, that light lived on only in the Silmarils; Morgoth seized them and set them in his crown, guarded in the impenetrable fortress of Angband in the north of Middle-earth. The Silmarillion is the history of the rebellion of Feanor and his people against the gods, their exile in Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all the heroisim of Elves and Men, against the great Enemy.

The book includes several other, shorter works beside The Silmarillion proper. Preceding it are "Ainulindale," the myth of Creation, and "Valaquenta," in which the nature and powers of each of the gods is set forth. After The Silmarillion is "Akallabeth," the story of the downfall of the great island kingdom of Numenor at the end of the Second Age; completing the volume is "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," in which the events of The Lord of the Rings are treated in the manner of The Silmarillion.

This new edition of The Silmarillion contains the revised and corrected "second edition" text and, by way of introduction, a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1951, which provides a brilliant exposition of his conception of the earlier Ages. It also contains almost fifty full-color illustrations by the artist Ted Nasmith, many of which appear for the first time.

The Silmarillion is J.R.R. Tolkien's tragic, operatic history of the First Age of Middle-Earth, essential background material for serious readers of the classic Lord of the Rings saga. Tolkien's work sets the standard for fantasy, and this audio version of the "Bible of Middle-Earth" does The Silmarillion justice. Martin Shaw's reading is grave and resonant, conveying all the powerful events and emotions that shaped elven and human history long before Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf and all the rest embarked on their quests. Beginning with the Music of the Ainur, The Silmarillion tells a tale of the Elder Days, when Elves and Men became estranged by the Dark Lord Morgoth's lust for the Silmarils, pure and powerful magic jewels. Even the love between a human warrior and the daughter of the Elven king cannot defeat Morgoth, but the War of Wrath finally brings down the Dark Lord. Peace reigns until the evil Sauron recovers the Rings of Power and sets the stage for the events told in the Lord of the Rings. This is epic fantasy at its finest, thrillingly read and gloriously unabridged. (Running time: 14 hours, 6 CDs)
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The Two Towers: Being the Second Part of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien -

For over fifty years, J.R.R. Tolkien’s peerless fantasy has accumulated worldwide acclaim as the greatest adventure tale ever written.
No other writer has created a world as distinct as Middle-earth, complete with its own geography, history, languages, and legends. And no one has created characters as endearing as Tolkien’s large-hearted, hairy-footed hobbits. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings continues to seize the imaginations of readers of all ages, and this new three-volume paperback edition is designed to appeal to the youngest of them.
In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elvensmiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, still it remained lost to him . . .

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J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) by J.R.R. Tolkien - Contains The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the KingHobbits and wizards and Sauron--oh, my! Mild-mannered Oxford scholar John Ronald Reuel Tolkien had little inkling when he published The Hobbit; Or, There and Back Again in 1937 that, once hobbits were unleashed upon the world, there would be no turning back. Hobbits are, of course, small, furry creatures who love nothing better than a leisurely life quite free from adventure. But in that first novel and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the hobbits Bilbo and Frodo and their elfish friends get swept up into a mighty conflict with the dragon Smaug, the dark lord Sauron (who owes much to proud Satan in Paradise Lost), the monstrous Gollum, the Cracks of Doom, and the awful power of the magical Ring. The four books' characters--good and evil--are recognizably human, and the realism is deepened by the magnificent detail of the vast parallel world Tolkien devised, inspired partly by his influential Anglo-Saxon scholarship and his Christian beliefs. (He disapproved of the relative sparseness of detail in the comparable allegorical fantasy his friend C.S. Lewis dreamed up in The Chronicles of Narnia, though he knew Lewis had spun a page-turning yarn.) It has been estimated that one-tenth of all paperbacks sold can trace their ancestry to J.R.R. Tolkien. But even if we had never gotten Robert Jordan's The Path of Daggers and the whole fantasy genre Tolkien inadvertently created by bringing the hobbits so richly to life, Tolkien's epic about the Ring would have left our world enhanced by enchantment. --Tim Appelo
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The Lord of the Rings: 50th Anniversary, One Vol. Edition by J.R.R. Tolkien -

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Lord of the Rings Collectables

Leaf Clasp - Lord of the Rings - This Elven Brooch is an officially licensed Lord of the RingsTM item. Measures approximately 2.5 inchess tall by 1.75 inches wide.
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Trivial Pursuit: The Lord of the Rings Movie Trilogy Collector's Edition - How well do you know the characters, legends and places from the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy' Put yourself and fellow Lord of the Rings fans to the test with Trivial Pursuit: The Lord of the Rings Movie Trilogy Collector's Edition. Enjoy classic Trivial Pursuit gameplay with 1,800 The Lord of the Rings questions based on the movie trilogy. Answer correctly to collect all the wedges in your pie. Then, race to the center of the gameboard to win. Includes four collectible pewter tokens and special advanced fan gameplay rules.

For 2 to 4 players or teams.

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Lord of The Rings The Confrontation: Deluxe Edition - A Stratego-like game themed around Lord of the Rings. Players each control a force of 9 characters (light vs. dark) whose identities are hidden from their opponent at the beginning of the game. Combat is resolved by playing special cards. In this edition you will not only be able to play the original classic game, but also play an entirely new variant game with new characters found on the reverse side of the character tiles. Furthermore, you will also be able to play a draft version of the game in which players may select characters from either the original version or the variant game. Finally, the Deluxe Edition also includes four new Special Cards in addition to the four Special Cards found in the original release.
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Risk: Lord of the Rings Edition - The classic game of conquest travels into Middle-earth with this special edition of RISK. Adapted after the battles waged in The Lord of the Rings, it features a highly detailed Middle-earth game board drawn by an official cartographer from the film, and a gold-tone pewter replica of The Ring. Choose to command a Good or Evil force, unite your armies and go into battle with specially sculpted characters, representing Elven Archers, Riders of Rohan Orcs, Dark Riders, Eagles and Cavetrolls. Play by classic RISK rules or add in The Lord of the Rings twists. Uncover ancient Sites of Power around Middle-earth, maximize your powers before the Fellowship leaves the land, and use your leader to aid you in this time-honored game of strategy and daring. Includes 20x20" game board, ring, 4 armies, 42 territory cards, 2 wild cards, 40 adventure cards, 3 red dice, 2 black dice and an instruction book. For 2 to 4 players. Ages 9 and up.
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Grishnakh & Orc Scout Lord of the Rings -
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Monopoly - The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Edition - Make the journey with the Fellowship and claim the territories of Middle-earth in this special edition of the classic MONOPOLY Game. Gather power as you move in and out of these territories, building strongholds and fortresses to secure your holdings. You may even acquire relics such as the staffs of the wizards. Become the most powerful player throughout middle-earth to be the winner. Includes 6 collectible The Lord of the Rings tokens.
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Lord of The Rings Expansion : Friends & Foes - This expansion to the Lord of the Rings board game adds two new scenario boards (Bree and Isengard), 13 new feature cards and 3 new Gandalf cards. It also adds two completely new features to the game: Foe cards which add a major new aspect to the game; and Character Ability cards which give each character a unique one-shot ability.
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Lord of the Rings Trilogy Edition Stratego - Command your favorite trilogy characters as you strive to control Middle-earth. This game combines classic Stratego gameplay with exciting The Lord of the Rings adventures. Use memory, cunning and luck to capture your opponent's ring and win the game. Play with up to two players.
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Lord of the Rings Saruman & Wormtongue Mini Mates -
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The Lord Of The Rings Sauron Expansion Set Board Game - With this Sauron expansion set to the original board game, players can get their chance to play the bad guy himself, employ the Black Rider, and rule them all. But beware: with this set, the pesky hobbits have some new weapons of their own. The set includes 30 Sauron cards, nine Nazgul cards, and five Fellowship cards. It's not capable of being played on its own but makes a great counterpart, and counterpoint, to the original board game.Okay look, we've all seen the movies, many of us have read the books, and plenty of us have already played the incredibly cool Lord of the Rings board game designed by Reiner Knizia. And while the determined pluck of the hobbits is obviously worthy of admiration, haven't you ever thought there was something kind of cool about Sauron? Sure you might not want to admit it, or maybe you do, but the guy is in at least a partially sympathetic spot. He just wants to rule all of creation and to do that, all he needs to do is pry some jewelry away from a hobbit. With this Sauron expansion set to the original board game, players can get their chance to play the bad guy himself, employ the Black Rider, and rule them all. But beware: with this set, the pesky hobbits have some new weapons of their own. The set includes 30 Sauron cards, nine Nazgul cards, and five Fellowship cards. It's not capable of being played on its own but makes a great counterpart, and counterpoint, to the original board game. --Charlie Williams
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