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{{book|
{{book
title=The Complete Guide to Middle-earth|
| title=The Complete Guide to Middle-earth
image=[[Image:The Complete Guide to Middle-earth.jpg|225px|Cover of ''The Complete Guide to Middle-earth'']]|
| image=[[Image:The Complete Guide to Middle-earth.jpg|225px]]
author=[[Robert Foster]]|
| author=[[Robert Foster]]
publisher=[[Random House|Random House Publishing Group]]|
| publisher=[[Random House|Random House Publishing Group]]
date=|
| date=Originally [[1971]]
format=Hardcover|
| format=Hardcover
pages=569|
| pages=569
isbn=0345465296|
| isbn=0345465296
}}
}}'''''The Complete Guide to Middle-earth''''' is a reference book for the fictional universe of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s [[Middle-earth]], compiled and edited by [[Robert Foster]].


'''The Complete Guide to Middle-earth''' is a reference book for the fictional universe of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s [[Middle-earth]], compiled and edited by [[Robert Foster]].
Originally published in [[1971]] as ''A Guide to Middle-Earth'', before the publication of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', the first edition contained only information from ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[The Hobbit]]''. In [[1978]], a new edition (''The Complete Guide to Middle-earth: from The Hobbit to The Silmarillion''), containing material from ''The Silmarillion'', was published.  
 
Originally published in [[1971]] as ''A Guide to Middle-Earth'', before the publication of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', the first edition contained only information from ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[The Hobbit]]''. In [[1978]], a new edition (''The Complete Guide to Middle-earth: from The Hobbit to The Silmarillion''), containing material from ''Silmarillion'', was published.  


A revised edition was published in [[2001]], as one of many reprints intended to ride the commercial wave of ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy]]''.
A revised edition was published in [[2001]], as one of many reprints intended to ride the commercial wave of ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy]]''.
Line 20: Line 18:
Detailed information on the early editions.<ref>[[Åke Bertenstam|Bertenstam, Åke]]: ''[http://www.forodrim.org/bibliography/tolklist.html A Chronological Bibliography of Books About Tolkien]''</ref>
Detailed information on the early editions.<ref>[[Åke Bertenstam|Bertenstam, Åke]]: ''[http://www.forodrim.org/bibliography/tolklist.html A Chronological Bibliography of Books About Tolkien]''</ref>


*[[1971]]: ''A Guide to Middle-Earth''. Baltimore, Md.: The Mirage Press. xiii, 284, [7] pp., geneal. tables. 22.5 × 14.5 cm. (The Voyager Series, V-105) (The Anthem Series, A-1009)  
* [[1971]]: ''A Guide to Middle-Earth''. Baltimore, Md.: The Mirage Press. xiii, 284, [7] pp., geneal. tables. 22.5 × 14.5 cm. (The Voyager Series, V-105) (The Anthem Series, A-1009)  
*[[1974]]: Paperback edition: New York: Ballantine Books. 283 pp., geneal. tables. 18 cm. ISBN 0-345-24138-X (pbk)
* [[1974]]: Paperback edition: New York: Ballantine Books. 283 pp., geneal. tables. 18 cm. ISBN 0-345-24138-X (pbk)
* [[1978]]: ''The Complete Guide to Middle-earth: from The Hobbit to The Silmarillion''. New York: Ballantine Books. xvi, 575 pp., geneal. tables. 18 cm. ISBN 0-345-27975-1 (pbk)
* [[1978]]: British edition: London: Unwin Paperbacks. xii, [i], 441, [8] pp. 19.5 × 13 cm. ISBN 0-04-803001-5 (pbk): £1.50; ISBN 0-04-803002-3 (hbk)


*[[1978]]: ''The Complete Guide to Middle-earth: from The Hobbit to The Silmarillion''. New York: Ballantine Books. xvi, 575 pp., geneal. tables. 18 cm. ISBN 0-345-27975-1 (pbk)
==Accuracy==
*[[1978]]: British edition: London: Unwin Paperbacks. xii, [i], 441, [8] pp. 19.5 × 13 cm. ISBN 0-04-803001-5 (pbk): £1.50; ISBN 0-04-803002-3 (hbk)
No edition of the book includes info on post-''Silmarillion'' material (i.e. ''[[Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth|Unfinished Tales]]'' and ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' series) and therefore in points it is outdated or in error.  


==Accuracy==
:'''[[Tar-Aldarion]]''': Foster speculates that the tragic relations with his [[Tar-Meneldur|father]] and [[Erendis|wife]] were because he left no male heirs. The later published text ''[[Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife|Aldarion and Erendis]]'' elaborated this situation.
No edition of the book includes info on post-Silmarillion material (i.e. [[Unfinished Tales]] and [[The History of Middle-earth]] series) and therefore in points it is outdated or in error.
 
:'''[[Ambar]]''': Foster relates the [[Elvish]] words ''ambar'' "world" and ''[[umbar]]'' "fate". In the entry of Ambar, he mentions it is a concept related to fate of the world. ''[[The Etymologies]]'' showed that the two have different [[Sundocarmë|Root]]s; a distinct word ''ambar'' is actually linked to the root for "home".
 
===Possible Inaccuracies===
:'''[[Bladorthin]]''': Foster supports the usual misunderstanding that Bladorthin's spears were not delivered because he died early, while the text doesn't mention it.<ref>[http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/M-earth.html Andreas Möhn], "[http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Bladorthin.html Who was the King Bladorthin?]"</ref>


;[[Tar-Aldarion]]:  
:'''[[Dolmed]]''': Foster suggests that the mountain was destroyed at the end of the [[First Age]] when the [[Gulf of Lune]], broke through the [[Blue Mountains]] while the text doesn't mention anything about it.<ref>[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/ Hiswelókë], "[http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/articles.php?lng=en&pg=41 Mont Dolmed & cités naines]"</ref>
Foster speculates that the tragic relations with his [[Tar-Meneldur|father]] and [[Erendis|wife]] were because he left no male heirs. The later published text ''[[Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife|Aldarion and Erendis]]'' elaborated this situation.
;[[Ambar]]:
Foster relates the [[Elvish]] words ''ambar'' "world" and ''[[umbar]]'' "fate". In the entry of Ambar, he mentions it is a concept related to fate of the world. The ''[[Etymologies]]'' showed that the two have different [[Sundocarmë|Root]]s; a distinct word ''ambar'' is actually linked to the root for "home".


Other possibles inaccuracies are:
:'''[[Gwaihir]]''': Foster reproduces the fan conception merging the character of the [[Great Eagle]] to that of [[Gwaihir]], whereas they were most probably different individuals.{{fact}}
;[[Bladorthin]]:
Foster supports the usual misunderstanding that Bladorthin's spears were not delivered because he died early, while the text doesn't mention it.<ref>[http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Bladorthin.html Who was the King Bladorthin?]</ref>
;[[Dolmed]]:
Foster suggests that the mountain was destroyed at the end of the [[First Age]] when the [[Gulf of Lune]], broke through the [[Blue Mountains]] while the text doesn't mention anything about it.<ref>http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/site3/articles.php?lng=en&pg=41 Mont Dolmed & cités naines]</ref>
;[[Gwaihir]]:
Foster reproduces the fan conception merging the character of the [[Great Eagle]] to that of [[Gwaihir]], whereas they were most probably different individuals.
;[[Mearas]]:
Foster mentions the singular of ''mearas'' as ''meara'' (cf. entries for [[Shadowfax]] and [[Snowmane]]) while the correct [[Old English]] form is ''mearh''<ref>http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mearh</ref>.


:'''[[Mearas]]''': Foster mentions the singular of ''mearas'' as ''meara'' (cf. entries for [[Shadowfax]] and [[Snowmane]]) while the correct [[Old English]] form is ''mearh''.<ref>[http://en.wiktionary.org Wiktionary], "[http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mearh mearh]"</ref>


{{references}}
{{references}}
[[Category:Reference books|Complete Guide to Middle-earth, The]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Complete Guide to Middle-earth, The}}
[[CATEGORY:Publications by title|Complete Guide to Middle-earth, The]]
[[Category:Publications by title]]
[[Category:Reference books|Reference books]]
[[de:Das große Mittelerde-Lexikon]]
[[de:Das große Mittelerde-Lexikon]]
[[fi:The Complete Guide to Middle-earth]]
[[fi:The Complete Guide to Middle-earth]]

Revision as of 15:39, 23 October 2010

The Complete Guide to Middle-earth
File:The Complete Guide to Middle-earth.jpg
AuthorRobert Foster
PublisherRandom House Publishing Group
ReleasedOriginally 1971
FormatHardcover
Pages569
ISBN0345465296

The Complete Guide to Middle-earth is a reference book for the fictional universe of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, compiled and edited by Robert Foster.

Originally published in 1971 as A Guide to Middle-Earth, before the publication of The Silmarillion, the first edition contained only information from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. In 1978, a new edition (The Complete Guide to Middle-earth: from The Hobbit to The Silmarillion), containing material from The Silmarillion, was published.

A revised edition was published in 2001, as one of many reprints intended to ride the commercial wave of The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy.

Editions

Detailed information on the early editions.[1]

  • 1971: A Guide to Middle-Earth. Baltimore, Md.: The Mirage Press. xiii, 284, [7] pp., geneal. tables. 22.5 × 14.5 cm. (The Voyager Series, V-105) (The Anthem Series, A-1009)
  • 1974: Paperback edition: New York: Ballantine Books. 283 pp., geneal. tables. 18 cm. ISBN 0-345-24138-X (pbk)
  • 1978: The Complete Guide to Middle-earth: from The Hobbit to The Silmarillion. New York: Ballantine Books. xvi, 575 pp., geneal. tables. 18 cm. ISBN 0-345-27975-1 (pbk)
  • 1978: British edition: London: Unwin Paperbacks. xii, [i], 441, [8] pp. 19.5 × 13 cm. ISBN 0-04-803001-5 (pbk): £1.50; ISBN 0-04-803002-3 (hbk)

Accuracy

No edition of the book includes info on post-Silmarillion material (i.e. Unfinished Tales and The History of Middle-earth series) and therefore in points it is outdated or in error.

Tar-Aldarion: Foster speculates that the tragic relations with his father and wife were because he left no male heirs. The later published text Aldarion and Erendis elaborated this situation.
Ambar: Foster relates the Elvish words ambar "world" and umbar "fate". In the entry of Ambar, he mentions it is a concept related to fate of the world. The Etymologies showed that the two have different Roots; a distinct word ambar is actually linked to the root for "home".

Possible Inaccuracies

Bladorthin: Foster supports the usual misunderstanding that Bladorthin's spears were not delivered because he died early, while the text doesn't mention it.[2]
Dolmed: Foster suggests that the mountain was destroyed at the end of the First Age when the Gulf of Lune, broke through the Blue Mountains while the text doesn't mention anything about it.[3]
Gwaihir: Foster reproduces the fan conception merging the character of the Great Eagle to that of Gwaihir, whereas they were most probably different individuals.[source?]
Mearas: Foster mentions the singular of mearas as meara (cf. entries for Shadowfax and Snowmane) while the correct Old English form is mearh.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Bertenstam, Åke: A Chronological Bibliography of Books About Tolkien
  2. ↑ Andreas Möhn, "Who was the King Bladorthin?"
  3. ↑ Hiswelókë, "Mont Dolmed & cités naines"
  4. ↑ Wiktionary, "mearh"
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