The Two Towers: Lord of the Rings 2

This four volume, deluxe paperback boxed set contains J.R.R. Tolkien's epic masterworks THE HOBBIT and the three volumes of THE LORD OF THE RINGS (THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, THE TWO TOWERS, and THE RETURN OF THE KING) in their definitive text settings complete with maps and cover illustrations by the celebrated artist Alan Lee. In THE HOBBIT, Bilbo Baggins is whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in Hobbiton by the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves. He finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a THE LORD OF THE RINGS tells of the great and dangerous quest undertaken by Frodo Baggins 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. J.R.R. Tolkien's three volume masterpiece is at once a classic myth and a modern fairy tale -- a story of high and heroic adventure set in the unforgettable landscape of Middle-Earth.

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

"The Hobbit is a flawless masterpiece".

"The author has intimate access to an epic tradition of Germanic history, civilized by the gentler genius of modern England." The New York Times

"Among the greatest works of imaginative fiction of the twentieth century. The book presents us with the richest profusion of new lands and new creatures, from the beauty of Lothlorien to the horror of Mordor, adventures to hold us spell-bound, and words of beauty and evocation to bring all vividly before us." -- Sunday Telegraph

The standard hardcover edition of the second volume of The Lord of the Rings includes a large format fold-out map. Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in a battle in the Mines of Moria. And Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin -- alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

J.R.R. Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892. After serving in the First World War, he embarked upon a distinguished career as a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University. He is the renowned creator of Middle-earth and author of the great modern classic, The Hobbit, the prelude to his epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings. Other works by J.R.R. Tolkien include The Silmarillion. J.R.R. Tolkien died in 1973 at the age of 81.