The Lost Road and Other Writings
The fifth volume of the History of Middle-earth, containing the early
myths and legends which led to the writing of Tolkien’s epic tale of
war, The Silmarillion.
At the end of 1937, J. R. R. Tolkien
reluctantly set aside his work on the myths and heroic legends of
Valinor and Middle-earth and began The Lord of the Rings. This fifth
volume of The History of Middle-earth completes the examination of his
writing up to that time. Later forms of The Annals of Valinor and The
Annals of Beleriand had been composed, The Silmarillion was nearing
completion in a greatly amplified form, and a new Map had been made. The legend of the Downfall of Numenor had entered the work, including those central ideas: the World Made Round and the Straight Path into the
vanished West. Closely associated with this was the abandoned
‘time-travel’ story The Lost Road, linking the world of Numenor and
Middle-earth with the legends of many other times and peoples. Also
included in this volume is the The Lhammas, as essay on the complex
languages and dialects of Middle-earth, and an ‘etymological dictionary’ containing an extensive account of Elvish vocabularies.
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J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien, the creator of Middle-earth, was not just a writer; he was a weaver of worlds, a philologist whose deep understanding of language and mythology breathed life into epic landscapes, timeless characters, and legends that still captivate readers around the world. Born in 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Tolkien’s early years were marked by tragedy—his father’s untimely death and the loss of his mother, both of which shaped the tone of his writing. His roots in the English countryside, where he moved as a child, became the fertile ground for the stories that would define an entire genre.
The History of Middle-earth
The History of Middle-earth consists of twelve books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
Related series The History of Middle-earth (omnibus editions)
