Creative Staff:
Writer: David Day
What They Say:
The history of J. R. R. Tolkien’s fictional world of Middle-earth is filled with epic battles in an ongoing struggle between good and evil. The Battles of Tolkien recounts many of the greatest conflicts over thousands of years, from the earliest skirmishes of the Valarian Ages to the defining battles in the War of the Ring. Insightful commentary by Tolkien scholar David Day discusses how the people, tactics, and weapons influenced the outcome of each battle, and also how the legends of Middle-earth relate to the real-world mythology on which Tolkien based his famous literary creation. Maps and full-color illustrations help bring this rich universe to life, making it an invaluable reference book for Tolkien fans of all ages.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The works of J.R.R. Tolkien and their adaptations have been an integral part of my life since the debut of the 1977 Rankin Bass Hobbit cartoon. While I have well worn and well read copies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I have never delved deeply into the more academic analysis of the works. When The Battles of Tolkien came up on the review pile, I jumped on the opportunity to learn more about the inspiration behind some of the iconic pieces in his work.
The book is certainly visually appealing, what one would imagine the Red Book of the Westmarch might look like. A striking red cover bears subtle raised but muted soldiers with the title and author in gold lettering. The back of the book bears a white sticker proclaiming “This work is unofficial and is not authorized by the Tolkien Estate or HaperCollins Publishers”. Interesting… We will circle back to that soon. The interior pages mirror the “historic” feel of the cover looking much like aged parchment. Illustrations featured within are pencil drawn figures and maps of the battles along with full color illustrations of the more iconic moments from the books.
As for the content, it begins with the battles from The Silmarillion and goes through to the scouring of the Shire at the Battle of Bywater. Rather than just a summary of the battles, the author provides context to the works — mythological characters and settings they parallel, historical battles and tactics that informed the work, how Tolkien’s own experiences shaped them. While they are illuminating, some problems are apparent the further you get into the book.
The illustrations are at times obtuse for the casual Tolkien fan, especially those relating to The Silmarillion. The captions given to them or the text preceding give no context to understand what you are looking at. Battle descriptions also vary widely in content; of particular note, the Battle of the Hornburg contains only a map and a color illustration. This is one of the most iconic and well-known battles from The Lord of the Rings. Surely, there must have been something to say about elements of historic siege warfare Tolkien might have drew from.
Particularly troubling is the lack of attributions or citations for the Tolkien quotes and correspondence used. One cannot use this work as a jumping off point into the larger world of Tolkien research. This last point combined with the label on the back led me to do a bit of research on the author David Day. His reputation among Tolkien scholars and the community is less than stellar. Sifting through the usual vitriol, he has taken many liberties in the past with descriptions of Tolkien’s work. The introduction alludes to this by cautioning that the maps are well-informed interpretations and “the maps, illustrations, charts and commentaries … are meant as guides and aids”.
This makes for a conundrum. The book is certainly pretty and does contain interesting information about the battles and what influences they may have drawn upon. However, the lack of citations combined with the author’s reputation make it difficult to recommend the book’s commentary. How much is “well-informed interpretation” versus well-researched facts? If you are looking for a visually appealing work to stand next to your Hobbit and LotR books, this fits the bill but take the content with a fistful of salt.
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Bounty Books
Release Date: July 12th, 2016
MSRP: $9.99 (digital)
