To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the first ever illustrated edition of this collection of tales which takes readers further into the stories told in J.R.R. Tolkien's  The Hobbit ,  The Lord of the Rings , and  The Silmarillion . Unfinished Tales features 18 full-color paintings from critically acclaimed Tolkien artists, Alan Lee, John Howe, and Ted Nasmith, which reveal the three Ages of Middle-earth like never before. Unfinished Tales  is a collection of narratives ranging in time from the Elder Days of Middle-earth to the end of the War of the Ring, and provides those who have read  The Hobbit  and  The Lord of the Rings  with a whole collection of background and new stories. The book concentrates on the realm of Middle-earth and comprises such elements as The Quest of Erebor, Gandalf’s lively account of how it was that he came to send the Dwarves to the celebrated party at Bag-End; the emergence of the sea-god Ulmo before the eyes of Tuor on the coast of Beleriand; and an exact description of the military organization of the Riders of Rohan. Unfinished Tales  also contains the only story about the long ages of Númenor before its downfall, and all that is known about such matters as the Five Wizards, the Palantíri and the legend of Amroth. The tales were edited by Christopher Tolkien, who provides a short commentary on each story, helping the reader to fill in the gaps and put each story into the context of the rest of his father’s writings. In celebration of its 40th anniversary, this jacketed hardcover of Unfinished Tales includes 18 gorgeous paintings depicting scenes from the First, Second, and Third Ages of Middle-earth from critically acclaimed Tolkien artists, Alan Lee, John Howe, and Ted Nasmith. J.R.R. Tolkien  (1892–1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing  The Hobbit ,  The Lord of the Rings,  and  The Silmarillion , plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over sixty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide. ALAN LEE was born in Middlesex in 1947. His illustrated books include Faeries (with Brian Froud), Castles and Merlin Dreams , and the three ‘Great Tales’ of Middle-earth: The Children of Húrin , Beren and Lúthien , and The Fall of Gondolin . He has worked on such prestigious films as Erik the Viking (Terry Gilliam), Legend (Ridley Scott), and the acclaimed NBC miniseries Merlin . He is best known, however, for his work on the books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , and now the film versions.