The History of Middle-earth facts for kids

The History of Middle-earth is a collection of twelve books. They were published between 1983 and 1996. These books explore the amazing writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. His son, Christopher Tolkien, put these books together. He used his father's detailed notes and early drafts. Some of Tolkien's writings are still kept in libraries like Bodleian and Marquette University, and by groups such as the Elvish Linguistic Fellowship.

What is The History of Middle-earth?

This series helps us understand how J.R.R. Tolkien created his famous world of Middle-earth. It shows how his ideas changed over time. Christopher Tolkien carefully organized his father's notes. He included early versions of stories and poems. This gives fans a deeper look into Tolkien's creative process.

What the Books Are About

The first five books in the series talk about the ancient history of Middle-earth. They include early versions of stories found in The Silmarillion.

Books six through nine focus on the history of Númenor. This is a special island kingdom from Tolkien's legends. These books also show how the story of The Notion Club Papers developed.

Books ten and eleven go back to the stories that led to The Silmarillion. They include early versions of the Annals of Beleriand and the Annals of Aman. These are like old historical records from Tolkien's world.

The twelfth and final book explains how the appendices for Lord of the Rings were created. These appendices give extra details about the world, its languages, and its history.

The Books in the Series

Here are the twelve books that make up The History of Middle-earth:

• The Book of Lost Tales 1 (1983)
• The Book of Lost Tales 2 (1984)
• The Lays of Beleriand (1985)
• The Shaping of Middle-earth (1986)
• The Lost Road and Other Writings (1987)
• The Return of the Shadow (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.1) (1988)
• The Treason of Isengard (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.2) (1989)
• The War of the Ring (The History of The Lord of the Rings v.3) (1990)
• Sauron Defeated (adding The History of The Lord of the Rings v.4) (1992)
• Morgoth's Ring (The Later Silmarillion v.1) (1993)
• The War of the Jewels (The Later Silmarillion v.2) (1994)
• The Peoples of Middle-earth (1996)

See also

In Spanish: La historia de la Tierra Media para niños