A Tolkien Bestiary
by David Day
A bestiary is a book about beasts. For most of the author's life he has been a student of the world's mythologies. On reading J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and The Silmarillon, he was immediately struck not only by their value as wonderful tales beautifully told, but also by the immense cosmology behind the works. Indeed, it is the largest, most complex and detailed inventive mythological system in our literature. He discovered the vast inhabited landscapes of Middle-earth and the Undying Lands a fruitful area to study and chart. David's bestiary is a comprehensive encyclopaedia that describes, illustrates and historically delineates all of Tolkien's creations and like its medieval predecessors, this Bestiary lays strong emphasis on illustrations. One of the most important and original contributions to the book has been made by its 11 excellent illustrators including Michael Foreman, Lidia Postma, Ian Miller, Allan Curless, Sue Porter, Victor Ambrus and John Davis. In addition there is a newly conceived map and a chronology of all the ages.
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David Day
David Day is a Canadian poet and author. He was born 1947. He is best known for his books of J. R. R. Tolkien and his works. He has also written several children's books and nonfiction works about ecology, extinct and endangered species.
