The writings of J.R.R. Tolkien on the Second Age of Middle-earth are gathered for the first time in a luxurious boxed edition. J.R.R. Tolkien describes the Second Age as a 'dark age', the history of which was slow to be revealed. Readers had to settle for small clues in the pages of The Lord of the Rings and its appendices, which included the creation of the Rings of Power, the erection of Barad-dûr, and the rise of Sauron.

After the death of his father, Christopher Tolkien published The Silmarillion, where a more complete story could be told, revealing the events surrounding the rise and fall of the island of Númenor. Gifted to the Men of Middle-earth as a reward for their aid in the defeat of the Dark Lord Morgoth, the kingdom became a seat of influence and wealth. However, as the power of the Númenóreans grew, the seeds of their downfall were sown, culminating in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.

Further information about the Second Age was revealed in subsequent publications, starting with the Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth and extending into the twelve-volume History of Middle-earth by Christopher Tolkien. Now, according to the chronology of the 'Tale of Years' in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, editor Brian Sibley has compiled into one volume a new chronicle of the Second Age, adhering largely to the words of J.R.R. Tolkien from various published texts, with 10 new paintings and 65 pencil drawings by Alan Lee.

This luxurious boxed edition is quarter-bound, printed on heavyweight, acid-free paper, with gold detailing on the grey surfaces, includes a ribbon bookmark, and is housed in a custom-built slipcase.