In the second volume of the trilogy, the fellowship has been forced to split up in order to destroy the ring and fight the first battle of the War of the ring.

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 into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit.

Presents a look at the artistry that went into the making of the film "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," depicting in detail the mythical creatures, sets, makeup, costumes, and landscapes that were created specifically for the film.

Analyzes and illuminates Tolkien's lesser-known achievements as an artist and collects the complete artwork created for "The Hobbit," including over one hundred sketches, paintings, maps, and plans.

"It is well known that J.R.R. Tolkien published The Hobbit in 1937 and The Lord of the Rings in 1954-5. What may be less known is that he continued to write about Middle-earth in the decades that followed, right up until the years before his death in 1973. For him, Middle-earth was part of an entire world to be explored, and the writings in The Nature of Middle-earth reveal the journeys that he took as he sought to better understand his unique creation....