The Atlas of Middle-Earth (Revised Edition)
Label : Houghton Mifflin
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin
Studio : Houghton Mifflin
Karen Wynn Fonstad's THE ATLAS OF MIDDLE-EARTH is an essential volume that will enchant all Tolkien fans. Here is the definitive guide to the geography of Middle-earth, from its founding in the Elder Days through the Third Age, including the journeys of Bilbo, Frodo, and the Fellowship of the Ring. Authentic and updated -- nearly one third of the maps are new, and the text is fully revised -- the atlas illuminates the enchanted world created in THE SILMARILLION, THE HOBBIT, and THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Hundreds of two-color maps and diagrams survey the journeys of the principal characters day by day -- including all the battles and key locations of the First, Second, and Third Ages. Plans and descriptions of castles, buildings, and distinctive landforms are given, along with thematic maps describing the climate, vegetation, languages, and population distribution of Middle-earth throughout its history. An extensive appendix and an index help readers correlate the maps with Tolkien's novels.
Amazon.com Review
The publishing world is full of Tolkien spinoff products, some trivial and ephemeral--but some, like this thoroughly researched atlas, are genuinely classy. Karen Wynn Fonstad is a qualified geographer and cartographer who first mapped Middle-Earth in 1981 and has since added much new detail based on those endless volumes of drafts, abandoned passages, alternative versions, and laundry lists published since Tolkien's death. She fills in gaps and details in the familiar Third Age maps from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, goes back in time to map Middle-Earth's First and Second Ages, and reconstructs the route and timescale of every important journey in the stories. There are local maps of key places like the Mines of Moria, Lothlorien, Isengard, Minas Tirth, the Tower of Cirith Ungol, and the volcanic Mount Doom. War maps cover the saga's notable battles, up to the hopeless last stand at Mordor gate and the tiny later skirmish known in Shire records as the Battle of Bywater. Thematic maps show Middle-Earth's distribution of climate, geological features, vegetation, people, and (most importantly to Tolkien) languages.... It's all done tremendously seriously and would make a fine gift for enthusiastic Tolkien fans, except that they'll have bought it already. --David Langford, Amazon.co.uk
Excellent (2008-01-12)
I got this for my son-in-law who is a Tolken fan. I ordered this from Amazon, but it was damaged. They did replace it. Thanks to them my son-in-law's Christmas was saved and he really likes it. Kudos to Amazon.com.
Very interesting (2007-06-02)
This book was required for a college class; however, I have greatly enjoyed it and find this book is a great read on its own. If you are a fan of such books as "The Hobbit," you will greatly enjoy this book. It's a wonderful companion book for your other Middle-Earth reads and helps you to understand some pieces of the stories that you may have earlier ignored.
Middle-earth not received (2007-05-22)
The book did not arrive in my postbox surely because of old address.
Close, but no bananas (2007-05-13)
This atlas really helped me see where I was at as I read the Lord of the Rings. I could see how long it took to get from one place to another and how long they were at a single place without having to look it up again.
The reason I only gave it four stars is because it was the work of a fan, and not the actual maps of J.R.R. Tolkien. I was kind of looking for that.
Other than that it was great :P
AMAZING book!!! (2007-03-28)
omg~for any tolkien fan out there, this is a must have! Especially for anyone who is fascinated with the maps already included in the Hobbit, LOTR, and the Silmarillion.
Extensive maps (all based on Tolkien's writings, maps, and illustrations) - for everything from the Spring of Arda and Valinor to the Battle of Helm's Deep. There are maps following everystep of LOTR and the Hobbit - plus a large section on Beleriand and the 1st age~which makes it an indespensible companion to the Silmarillion.
There are a few grey areas here and there - there are bound to be in a world so complex as Tolkien's - which leaves some things to the interpretation and imagination of the reader. I think that's good. (Dr?) Fonstad is wise to leave out those things that are truly dubious, but is intuitive and brilliant in the way she interprets the world of Tolkien. She points out the process she used to come to the conclusions that in the book, which is very helpful.
All in all-this gets 5 1/2 stars-you gotta get this if you like any of Tolkien's works.