The History of the Hobbit, Part Two: Return to Bag-End

Before The Hobbit reached print, it existed as a story Tolkien invented to read aloud to his young sons at home. This volume presents that earlier draft in full, showing how the tale differed from the version that was eventually published. The text is accompanied by many illustrations and maps that Tolkien drew himself, most of which have rarely been seen. Commentary and notes trace when the earlier text was written, how Tolkien's other writings about myth and invented worlds fed into it, and the imaginary geography behind the tale. The editors also follow the later revisions he made so the story would fit with The Lord of the Rings, giving readers a detailed look at how a classic took shape.