J. R. R. Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings

Copyright

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

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London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

www.tolkien.co.uk

Published by HarperCollins Publishers 2005

This edition is based on the reset edition first published 2002,

which is a revised version of the reset edition first published 1994

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING first published in Great Britain

by George Allen & Unwin 1954, Second Edition 1966

THE TWO TOWERS first published in Great Britain by

George Allen & Unwin 1954, Second Edition 1966

THE RETURN OF THE KING first published in Great Britain

by George Allen & Unwin 1955, Second Edition 1966

First published in one volume 1968

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

© The Trustees of The J.R.R. Tolkien 1967 Settlement 1954, 1966

THE TWO TOWERS

© The Trustees of The J.R.R. Tolkien 1967 Settlement 1954, 1966

THE RETURN OF THE KING

© The Trustees of The J.R.R. Tolkien 1967 Settlement 1955, 1966

and ‘Tolkien’® are registered trademarks of The J.R.R Tolkien Estate Limited

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Source ISBN: 9780261103252

Ebook Edition © APRIL 2012 ISBN: 9780007322596

Version: 2019-11-01

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,

One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,

One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

NOTE ON THE TEXT

NOTE ON THE 50 THANNIVERSARY EDITION

FOREWORD TO THE SECOND EDITION

PROLOGUE Concerning Hobbits, and other matters

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

BOOK ONE

Chapter 1: A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY

Chapter 2: THE SHADOW OF THE PAST

Chapter 3: THREE IS COMPANY

Chapter 4: A SHORT CUT TO MUSHROOMS

Chapter 5: A CONSPIRACY UNMASKED

Chapter 6: THE OLD FOREST

Chapter 7: IN THE HOUSE OF TOM BOMBADIL

Chapter 8: FOG ON THE BARROW-DOWNS

Chapter 9: AT THE SIGN OF THE PRANCING PONY

Chapter 10: STRIDER

Chapter 11: A KNIFE IN THE DARK

Chapter 12: FLIGHT TO THE FORD

BOOK TWO

Chapter 1: MANY MEETINGS

Chapter 2: THE COUNCIL OF ELROND

Chapter 3: THE RING GOES SOUTH

Chapter 4: A JOURNEY IN THE DARK

Chapter 5: THE BRIDGE OF KHAZAD-DÛM

Chapter 6: LOTHLÓRIEN

Chapter 7: THE MIRROR OF GALADRIEL

Chapter 8: FAREWELL TO LÓRIEN

Chapter 9: THE GREAT RIVER

Chapter 10: THE BREAKING OF THE FELLOWSHIP

THE TWO TOWERS

BOOK THREE

Chapter 1: THE DEPARTURE OF BOROMIR

Chapter 2: THE RIDERS OF ROHAN

Chapter 3: THE URUK-HAI

Chapter 4: TREEBEARD

Chapter 5: THE WHITE RIDER

Chapter 6: THE KING OF THE GOLDEN HALL

Chapter 7: HELM’S DEEP

Chapter 8: THE ROAD TO ISENGARD

Chapter 9: FLOTSAM AND JETSAM

Chapter 10: THE VOICE OF SARUMAN

Chapter 11: THE PALANTÍR

BOOK FOUR

Chapter 1: THE TAMING OF SMÉAGOL

Chapter 2: THE PASSAGE OF THE MARSHES

Chapter 3: THE BLACK GATE IS CLOSED

Chapter 4: OF HERBS AND STEWED RABBIT

Chapter 5: THE WINDOW ON THE WEST

Chapter 6: THE FORBIDDEN POOL

Chapter 7: JOURNEY TO THE CROSS-ROADS

Chapter 8: THE STAIRS OF CIRITH UNGOL

Chapter 9: SHELOB’S LAIR

Chapter 10: THE CHOICES OF MASTER SAMWISE

THE RETURN OF THE KING

BOOK FIVE

Chapter 1: MINAS TIRITH

Chapter 2: THE PASSING OF THE GREY COMPANY

Chapter 3: THE MUSTER OF ROHAN

Chapter 4: THE SIEGE OF GONDOR

Chapter 5: THE RIDE OF THE ROHIRRIM

Chapter 6: THE BATTLE OF THE PELENNOR FIELDS

Chapter 7: THE PYRE OF DENETHOR

Chapter 8: THE HOUSES OF HEALING

Chapter 9: THE LAST DEBATE

Chapter 10: THE BLACK GATE OPENS

BOOK SIX

Chapter 1: THE TOWER OF CIRITH UNGOL

Chapter 2: THE LAND OF SHADOW

Chapter 3: MOUNT DOOM

Chapter 4: THE FIELD OF CORMALLEN

Chapter 5: THE STEWARD AND THE KING

Chapter 6: MANY PARTINGS

Chapter 7: HOMEWARD BOUND

Chapter 8: THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE

Chapter 9: THE GREY HAVENS

APPENDIX A: ANNALS OF THE KINGS AND RULERS

APPENDIX B: THE TALE OF YEARS

APPENDIX C: FAMILY TREES

APPENDIX D: SHIRE CALENDAR FOR USE IN ALL YEARS

APPENDIX E: WRITING AND SPELLING

APPENDIX F: I THE LANGUAGES AND PEOPLES OF THE THIRD AGE

INDEX

MAPS

Keep Reading

Works by J.R.R. Tolkien

About the Publisher

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is often erroneously called a trilogy, when it is in fact a single novel, consisting of six books plus appendices, sometimes published in three volumes.

The first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring, was published in Great Britain by the London firm George Allen & Unwin on 29 July 1954; an American edition followed on 21 October of the same year, published by Houghton Mifflin Company of Boston. In the production of this first volume, Tolkien experienced what became for him a continual problem: printer’s errors and compositor’s mistakes, including well-intentioned ‘corrections’ of his sometimes idiosyncratic usage. These ‘corrections’ include the altering of dwarves to dwarfs, elvish to elfish, further to farther, nasturtians to nasturtiums, try and say to try to say and (‘worst of all’ to Tolkien) elven to elfin. In a work such as The Lord of the Rings, containing invented languages and delicately constructed nomenclatures, errors and inconsistencies impede both the understanding and the appreciation of serious readers - and Tolkien had many such readers from very early on. Even before the publication of the third volume, which contained much hitherto unrevealed information on the invented languages and writing systems, Tolkien received many letters from readers written in these systems, in addition to numerous enquiries on the finer points of their usage.