The complete Tolkien companion

the long version

"For all those who journey to J. R. R. Tolkien's MIddle-earth, here is the complete guide to its lands, legends, histories, languages and peoples." "The Complete Tolkien Companion contains, explains, translates and links every single reference - names, dates, places, individuals, facts, famous weapons, even food and drink - to be found in Tolkien's world: not just The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but The Silmarillion and many other posthumously published works. The Elvish writing systems are illustrated and explained, and in addition there are maps, charts and genealogical tables."--BOOK JACKET.