Immerse yourself in Middle-earth with J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic epic fantasy masterpieces behind the films... This special 50th anniversary deluxe edition is part of a classic fantasy series that includes all three volumes of The Lord of the Rings ( The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers , and The Return of the King ), along with an extensive new index—a must-own tome for old and new Tolkien readers alike. 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, a band of hobbits, Elves, and Dwarves: 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. 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. The fate of the world rests on a perilous quest, and the shoulders of the smallest of heroes. The One Ring: An ancient weapon of immense power, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron, that corrupts all who bear it. It must be destroyed, but can only be unmade in the fires of Mount Doom. - An Unlikely Fellowship: Nine companions―including hobbits Frodo and Sam, Gandalf the Wizard, Legolas the Elf, and Gimli the Dwarf―are all that stand against the darkness. - A Journey into Darkness: From the peaceful fields of the Shire to the grim shadow of Mordor, Frodo and his friends must travel across all of Middle-earth and face the terrifying servants of the Enemy. - The Complete Trilogy: This deluxe edition contains all three parts of J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece, The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers , and The Return of the King , in one definitive volume. "A unique, wholly realized other world, evoked from deep in the well of Time, massively detailed, absorbingly entertaining, profound in meaning." The New York Times 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. 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. 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.