In J. R. R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion, Middle-earth endured cataclysmic wars and critical battles, causing great men, women and mystical creatures to arise, influence and shape the course of its history.

Here in this book, Tolkien expert David Day examines the complexities surrounding Tolkien's portrayal of good and evil, and analyses Middle-earth's most celebrated heroes and the literary, historical and mythological sources that inspired their creation.

This work is unofficial and is not authorized by the Tolkien Estate or HarperCollins Publishers.