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A Tolkien Bestiary

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A Tolkien Bestiary
A Tolkien Bestiary.jpg
AuthorDavid Day
PublisherMitchell Beazley
Released1979
FormatPaperback/Hardcover
Pages288
ISBN0517120771

A Tolkien Bestiary is an A-Z guide to the flora and fauna of Middle-earth, written by David Day and first published in 1979. The book contains monochrome and full-colour illustrations by Michael Foreman, Lidia Postma, Ian Miller, Allan Curless, Sue Porter, Victor Ambrus and John Davis.

Contents

[edit] Reception

The book has been accused of containing extrapolations and thus deviating from Tolkien's writings.[1] For example, there is a reference to "Kraken" referring to the Watcher in the Water, but the word does not appear as a species in Tolkien's works.[2]

While fans have argued that the book is less reliable as a Tolkien reference than similar works by Robert Foster and J.E.A. Tyler for the purists, many are fond of its illustrations.[3]

[edit] Editions

[edit] US

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Gramercy (February 5, 1995)
  • ISBN-13: 978-0517120774
  • Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 1.3 inches

[edit] UK

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Harbour Publishing
  • ISBN-13: 978-0920080474
  • Product Dimensions: 27.9 x 21.6 x 2.5 cm
  • Paperback
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345282828
  • Hardcover
  • Publisher: Crescent Books (Aug 1990)
  • ISBN-13: 978-0517473252
  • Product Dimensions: 27.9 x 21.6 x 2 cm

[edit] References

  1. Steuard Jensen, "Notes on David Day's Tolkien Books" , Tolkien Meta-FAQ (accessed 11 April 2012)
  2. "Tolkien Bestiary (forum thread)" , The Tolkien Forum (accessed 11 April 2012)
  3. "A guide to Tolkien by David Day (forum thread)" , The Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza (accessed 11 April 2012)