For the first time, a special edition of the predecessor to "The Lord of the Rings," illustrated throughout in color by J.R.R. Tolkien himself and with the complete text printed in two colors.

The Silmarillion were three perfect jewels, created by Fëanor, the most gifted of the Elves, within which was imprisoned the last Light of the Two Trees of Valinor. But the first Dark Lord, Morgoth, stole the jewels and placed them within his iron crown, kept in the impenetrable fortress of Angband in the northern part of Middle-earth.

"The Silmarillion" is the story of Fëanor's rebellion and his kin against the gods, their exile from Valinor, and their return to Middle-earth, as well as their hopeless war, despite their heroic effort, against the great Enemy. It is the ancient drama to which the characters of "The Lord of the Rings" look back, and in the events of which some of them, like Elrond and Galadriel, took part.

The book also includes several shorter works: the Ainulindalë, a myth of Creation, and the Valaquenta, which describes the nature and powers of each god. The Akallabêth narrates the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age, while "Of the Rings of Power" relates the great events at the end of the Third Age, as recounted in "The Lord of the Rings."

Tolkien could not publish "The Silmarillion" during his lifetime, as it was evolving with him, so he left it to his son, Christopher Tolkien, to edit the work from many manuscripts and bring his great vision to a publishing form, thus completing the literary achievement of a lifetime. This special edition re-presents this fundamental first step towards charting the posthumous publication of Middle-earth and the beginning of an iconic forty-year era and more than twenty books celebrating his father's legacy.

This definitive new edition includes, as a foreword, a letter written by Tolkien in 1951, which provides a wonderful presentation of the early Ages, and for the first time in its history, it is presented with J.R.R. Tolkien's paintings and drawings, revealing the stunning grandeur and beauty of his vision for the First Age of Middle-earth.

Pages: 448, Dimensions: 14.9x14.9cm