In this book for the first time, this revised and updated examination of how J.R.R.Tolkien came to write his original masterpiece 'The Hobbit' includes his complete unpublished draft version of the story, together with notes and illustrations by Tolkien himself.
As well as reproducing the original version of one of literature's most famous stories, both on its own merits and as the foundation for The Lord of the Rings, this new book includes many little-known illustrations and previously unpublished maps for The Hobbit by Tolkien himself. Also featured are extensive annotations and commentaries on the date of composition, how Tolkien's professional and early mythological writings influenced the story, the imaginary geography he created, and how Tolkien came to revise the book years after publication to accommodate events in The Lord of the Rings.
