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{{book
{{book
| title=The Peoples of Middle-earth
| title=The Peoples of Middle-earth
| image=[[File:The Peoples of Middle-earth (HC2010).png|225px]]
| image=[[File:Peoples of Middle-earth 1996.png|225px]]
| author=[[J.R.R. Tolkien]]
| author=[[J.R.R. Tolkien]]
| editor=[[Christopher Tolkien]]
| editor=[[Christopher Tolkien]]
| illustrator=
| publisherUK=[[HarperCollins]]
| publisherUK=[[Allen and Unwin|Unwin Hyman]]
| publisherUS=[[Houghton Mifflin]]
| publisherUS=[[Houghton Mifflin]]
| dateUK=[[2 September]] [[1996]]
| dateUK=[[2 September]] [[1996]]
| dateUS=[[6 December]] 1996
| dateUS=[[6 December]] 1996
| format=Hardcover
| format=Hardcover; paperback
| pages=496
| pages=496
| isbn=978-0261103481
| isbn=0261103377
| series=[[The History of Middle-earth]]
| precededby=[[The War of the Jewels]] (1994)
| precededby=[[The War of the Jewels]]
| followedby=[[The Children of Húrin]] (2007)
| followedby=[[The History of Middle-earth Index]]
}}
}}
'''''The Peoples of Middle-earth''''' is the twelfth volume of the ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]''.
'''''The Peoples of Middle-earth''''', published in [[1996]], is the twelfth and final volume of [[Christopher Tolkien]]'s 12-volume book series, ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', in which he analyzes the unpublished manuscripts of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]].


==From the publisher==
This book covers the development of the [[The Prologue|Prologue]] and [[The Lord of the Rings Appendices|Appendices]] of ''The Lord of the Rings'', information on [[Elvish]] tongues and other [[languages]] of Middle-earth as provided by [[Pengolodh|Pengoloð]], and two stories Tolkien didn't finish: [[The New Shadow]] (a quickly-abandoned sequel to ''TLotR'') and an account of [[Númenóreans]] of which [[Tal-Elmar (character)|Tal-Elmar]] is the protagonist.
{{blockquote|When [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] laid aside ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' in 1937 the extension of the original 'mythology' into later Ages of the world had scarcely begun. It was in the [[The Lord of the Rings Appendices|Appendices]] to ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' that there emerged a comprehensive historical structure and chronology of the Second and [[Third Age]]s, embracing all the diverse strands that came together in the [[War of the Ring]]. The difficulty that he found in providing these Appendices, leading to delay in the publication of ''[[The Return of the King]]'', is well known; but in ''The Peoples of Middle-earth'' [[Christopher Tolkien]] shows that early forms of these works already existed years before, in essays and records differing greatly from the published forms. He traces the evolution of the Calendars, the [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] genealogies, the [[Westron]] language or [[Westron|Common Speech]] (from which many words and names are recorded that were afterwards lost), and the chronological structure of the later Ages. Other writings by J.R.R. Tolkien are included in this final volume of ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', chiefly deriving from his last years, when new insights and new constructions still freely arose as he pondered the history that he had created. The book concludes with two soon-abandoned stories, both unique in the setting of time and place: ''[[The New Shadow]]'' in [[Gondor]] of the [[Fourth Age]], and the tale of ''[[Tal-Elmar (chapter)|Tal-Elmar]]'', in which the coming of the dreaded [[Númenóreans|Númenórean]] ships is seen through the eyes of men of [[Middle-earth]] in the [[Dark Years]].}}


==Chapters==
==Contents==
*Foreword
*Foreword
:'''Part One: The Prologue and Appendices to ''The Lord of the Rings'''''
:'''Part One: The Prologue and Appendices to ''The Lord of the Rings'''''
* I. "[[The Prologue]]"
* I. "[[The Prologue]]"
Line 33: Line 31:
* VIII. "[[The Tale of Years of the Third Age]]"
* VIII. "[[The Tale of Years of the Third Age]]"
* IX. "[[The Making of Appendix A]]"
* IX. "[[The Making of Appendix A]]"
** (i) The Realms in Exile
** (ii) The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen
** (iii) The House of Eorl
** (iv) Durin's Folk


:'''Part Two: Late writings'''
:'''Part Two: Late Writings'''
* X. "[[Of Dwarves and Men]]"
* X. "[[Of Dwarves and Men]]"
* XI. "[[The Shibboleth of Fëanor]]"
* XI. "[[The Shibboleth of Fëanor]]"
* XII. "[[The Problem of Ros]]"
* XII. "[[The Problem of Ros|The Problem of ''Ros'']]"
* XIII. "[[Last Writings]]"
* XIII. "[[Last Writings]]"


Line 44: Line 46:
* XV. "[[Of Lembas]]"
* XV. "[[Of Lembas]]"


:'''Part Four: Unfinished tales'''
:'''Part Four: Unfinished Tales'''
* XVI. "[[The New Shadow]]"
* XVI. "[[The New Shadow]]"
* XVII. "[[Tal-Elmar (chapter)|Tal-Elmar]]"
* XVII. "[[Tal-Elmar (chapter)|Tal-Elmar]]"


*Index
==Inscriptions==
There is an inscription in the [[Tengwar]] characters in the first pages of every ''History of Middle-earth'' volume, written by Christopher Tolkien and describing the contents of the book. The inscription in Book XII reads:
 
:"''This is the last volume of the work of Christopher Tolkien in which he has collected a great part of all that his father John Ronald Reuel Tolkien wrote of Middle-earth and Valinor. In this book is traced the devising of the history of the later ages in the Northwest of Middle-earth after the [[War of Wrath|Great Battle]] and the Fall of [[Morgoth]].''"
 
==From the publisher==
{{blockquote|The concluding volume of The History of Middle-earth series, which examines the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings.<br>
The Peoples of Middle-earth traces the evolution of the Appendices to The Lord of The Rings, which provide a comprehensive historical structure of the Second and Third Ages, including Calendars, Hobbit genealogies and the [[Westron]] language. The book concludes with two unique abandoned stories: [[The New Shadow]], set in Gondor during the Fourth Age, and the [[Tal-Elmar|tale of Tal-Elmar]], in which the coming of the dreaded Númenórean ships is seen through the eyes of men of Middle-earth in the Dark Years.<br>
With the publication of this book, the long history of J.R.R. Tolkien’s creation is completed and the enigmatic state of his work can be understood.}}


==Publication history and image gallery==
==Publication history and gallery==
;UK Editions
{{Gallery
{{Gallery
|title=
|width=125
|width=200
|height=125
|height=180
|lines=2
|lines=3
|File:Peoples of Middle-earth 1996.png|1996 hardcover
|File:The Peoples of Middle-earth (1996).png|[[1996]], [[Allen and Unwin|Unwin Hyman]] 1st ed.; hardcover; ISBN 0261103377
|File:Peoples of Middle-Earth 1997.jpeg|1997 paperback
|File:The Peoples of Middle-earth.jpg|[[1996]], [[Houghton Mifflin]]; hardcover; ISBN 0395827604
|File:The Peoples of Middle-earth (HC2002).png|2002 paperback
|File:The Peoples of Middle-earth (HC1997).png|[[1997]], [[HarperCollins]] 1st paperback ed.; ISBN 0261103482; Cover illustration by [[John Howe]]
|File:The Peoples of Middle-earth (HC2010).png|2010 hardcover
|File:The Peoples of Middle-earth (HC2002).png|[[2002]], [[HarperCollins]]; ISBN 0261103482; Cover illustration by [[John Howe]]
|File:The Peoples of Middle-earth (HC2010).png|[[2010]], HarperCollins; reissue (print on demand), hardcover
}}
}}
 
*[[HarperCollins]] hardcover ([[1996]]), pp. 496. ISBN 0261103377
==External links==
*[[HarperCollins]] paperback ([[1997]]), ISBN 0261103482 (cover art by [[John Howe]])
*[http://www.tolkienbooks.net/php/gallery.php?subsection=71 Detailed publication history of UK editions at Tolkienbooks.net]
*[[HarperCollins]] paperback ([[2002]]), ISBN 0261103482
*[[HarperCollins]] hardcover ([[2010]]), ISBN 0007365365


{{home}}
{{home}}

Revision as of 21:46, 20 September 2022

The Peoples of Middle-earth
Peoples of Middle-earth 1996.png
AuthorJ.R.R. Tolkien
EditorChristopher Tolkien
PublisherHarperCollins (UK)
Houghton Mifflin (US)
Released2 September 1996 (UK)
6 December 1996 (US)
FormatHardcover; paperback
Pages496
ISBN0261103377
Preceded byThe War of the Jewels (1994)
Followed byThe Children of Húrin (2007)

The Peoples of Middle-earth, published in 1996, is the twelfth and final volume of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume book series, The History of Middle-earth, in which he analyzes the unpublished manuscripts of J.R.R. Tolkien.

This book covers the development of the Prologue and Appendices of The Lord of the Rings, information on Elvish tongues and other languages of Middle-earth as provided by Pengoloð, and two stories Tolkien didn't finish: The New Shadow (a quickly-abandoned sequel to TLotR) and an account of Númenóreans of which Tal-Elmar is the protagonist.

Contents

  • Foreword
Part One: The Prologue and Appendices to The Lord of the Rings
Part Two: Late Writings
Part Three: Teachings of Pengoloð
Part Four: Unfinished Tales

Inscriptions

There is an inscription in the Tengwar characters in the first pages of every History of Middle-earth volume, written by Christopher Tolkien and describing the contents of the book. The inscription in Book XII reads:

"This is the last volume of the work of Christopher Tolkien in which he has collected a great part of all that his father John Ronald Reuel Tolkien wrote of Middle-earth and Valinor. In this book is traced the devising of the history of the later ages in the Northwest of Middle-earth after the Great Battle and the Fall of Morgoth."

From the publisher

The concluding volume of The History of Middle-earth series, which examines the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings.

The Peoples of Middle-earth traces the evolution of the Appendices to The Lord of The Rings, which provide a comprehensive historical structure of the Second and Third Ages, including Calendars, Hobbit genealogies and the Westron language. The book concludes with two unique abandoned stories: The New Shadow, set in Gondor during the Fourth Age, and the tale of Tal-Elmar, in which the coming of the dreaded Númenórean ships is seen through the eyes of men of Middle-earth in the Dark Years.

With the publication of this book, the long history of J.R.R. Tolkien’s creation is completed and the enigmatic state of his work can be understood.

Publication history and gallery

UK Editions
1996 hardcover  
1997 paperback  
2002 paperback  
2010 hardcover  
The History of Middle-earth series
i.The Book of Lost Tales: Part One · ii.The Book of Lost Tales: Part Two · iii.The Lays of Beleriand ·
iv.The Shaping of Middle-earth · v.The Lost Road and Other Writings · vi.The Return of the Shadow ·
vii.The Treason of Isengard · viii.The War of the Ring · ix.Sauron Defeated ·
x.Morgoth's Ring · xi.The War of the Jewels · xii.The Peoples of Middle-earth · (Index)
A J.R.R. Tolkien book guide
Books by or mainly by Tolkien
On Arda Authored by
J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hobbit · The Lord of the Rings
(i.The Fellowship of the Ring · ii.The Two Towers · iii.The Return of the King) ·
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil · The Road Goes Ever On · Bilbo's Last Song
Edited by Christopher Tolkien The Silmarillion · Unfinished Tales · The History of Middle-earth series
(i.The Book of Lost Tales: Part One · ii.The Book of Lost Tales: Part Two · iii.The Lays of Beleriand · iv.The Shaping of Middle-earth · v.The Lost Road and Other Writings · vi.The Return of the Shadow · vii.The Treason of Isengard · viii.The War of the Ring · ix.Sauron Defeated · x.Morgoth's Ring · xi.The War of the Jewels · xii.The Peoples of Middle-earth · Index) ·
The Children of Húrin · Beren and Lúthien · The Fall of Gondolin
Edited by others The Annotated Hobbit · The History of The Hobbit · The Nature of Middle-earth ·
The Fall of Númenor · The Maps of Middle-earth
Not on Arda Short stories
and poems
Leaf by Niggle · Farmer Giles of Ham · Smith of Wootton Major · Letters from Father Christmas ·
Mr. Bliss · Roverandom · Tree and Leaf (compilation) · Tales from the Perilous Realm (compilation)
Fictional works The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún · The Fall of Arthur · The Story of Kullervo · The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun
Translations and academic works Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo · Finn and Hengest ·
The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays · Beowulf and the Critics · Tolkien On Fairy-stories ·
Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary · A Secret Vice · The Battle of Maldon
Collected letters and poems The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien · The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien
Edited old texts A Middle English Vocabulary · Sir Gawain and the Green Knight · Ancrene Wisse · The Old English Exodus
Books by other authors
Biographies J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography · The Inklings · Tolkien and the Great War
Reference works The Complete Guide to Middle-earth · The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide
Scholarly studies The Road to Middle-earth · The Keys of Middle-earth · The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion ·
The Ring of Words · A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien · Tolkien's Lost Chaucer ·
Tolkien's Library · Tolkien on Chaucer, 1913-1959
Scholarly journals Tolkien Studies · (The Chronology)
Other works by Tolkien
Linguistic journals Vinyar Tengwar various issues · Parma Eldalamberon issue 11-22
Collections of artwork
and manuscripts
Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien · J.R.R. Tolkien: Life and Legend · J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator ·
The Art of The Hobbit · The Art of The Lord of the Rings · Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth ·
Tolkien: Treasures · J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript
This list is only a selection of works, for a fuller bibliography of Tolkien see here or here. See also a timeline and an index.