The Return of the Shadow: The History of The Lord of the Rings Part One + The Treason of Isengard: The History of The Lord of the Rings Part Two (The History of Middle-Earth Vols 7-8)

London: London: HarperCollinsPublishers (Harper Collins) 1991-93 Second Impressions 8vo viii,504pp ISBN 0-261-10219-2, 1993 Two volumes comprising Volumes 6 & 7 of the History of Middle-Earth, but also comprising Parts 1 & 2 of the History of the Lord of the Rings; Fine original cloth, in Near Fine DW's, 2 pages joined at bottom corner due to printing error on Vol. 6, protected in Brodart sleeve. In The Return of the Shadow, Christopher Tolkien describes, with full citation of the earliest notes, outline plans, and narrative drafts, the intricate evolution of The Fellowship of the Ring. The enlargement of Bilbo's 'magic ring' into the supremely potent and dangerous Ruling Ring of the Dark Lord is traced; the character of a Hobbit called Trotter is developed while his identity remains an insoluble puzzle; the Hobbits, Frodo's companions, undergo intricate permutations of name and personality, and other major figures appear in strange modes: a sinister Treebeard, in league with the Enemy, a ferocious and malevolent Farmer Maggot. The story in this book ends at the point where J.R.R. Tolkien halted in the story for a long time, as the Company of the Ring, still lacking Legolas and Gimli, stood before the tomb of Balin in the Mines of Moria. The book is illustrated with reproductions of the first maps and notable pages from the earliest manuscripts. The Treason of Isengard traces the expansion of the tale into new lands and new peoples south and east of the Misty Mountains, the emergence of Lothlorien, of Ents, the Riders of Rohan, and of Saruman the White in the Fortress of Isengard; a chief feature of the book is a full account of the original Map; an appendix describes the Runic alphabets as they were at that time.