The Silmarillion
The clearest entry point into the mythology that Christopher Tolkien edited and developed for publication.
Author guide
Christopher Tolkien Books in Order
Christopher Reuel Tolkien (1924–2020) was an English scholar, editor, translator, and literary executor. He was J. R. R. Tolkien's literary executor and spent more than four decades preparing his father's unpublished writings for publication, including The Silmarillion, The History of Middle-earth, and the standalone Great Tales. His own scholarly publications included editions and translations of medieval and Old English texts.
fantasymythologyliterary criticismmedieval studiesphilologytranslation
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
The Children of Húrin
A self-contained tragic narrative for readers who want a single story rather than a historiographical edition.
The Book of Lost Tales, Part One
The natural starting point for studying the evolution of Tolkien's mythology through The History of Middle-earth.
Read in order
Books by series
series · complete
The History of Middle-earth
A twelve-volume editorial history of the development of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythology and the drafts of his Middle-earth writings.
- 1 The Book of Lost Tales, Part One
Book 1 · edited_collection · 1983
The story begins with a man named Eriol, as he lands on the 'Lonely Island' mythical prehistory England. While traveling he stops at the "Cottage of Lost Play" a house owned by Lindo and Vairë elves. They tell him how they came to be…
- 2 The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two
Book 2 · edited_collection · 1984
- 3 The Lays of Beleriand
Book 3 · edited_collection · 1985
This is the third volume of the History of Middle-earth, which comprises here-tofore unpublished manuscripts that were written over a period of many years before Tolkien's Simlarillion was published. Volumes 1 and 2 were the Book of Lost…
- 4 The Shaping of Middle-earth
Book 4 · edited_collection · 1986
In this truly indispensable reference, trace the development of the early lore of Middle-earth. Poems and prose, maps and chronologies, detours and diversions along the road to Middle-earth -- Christopher Tolkien has gathered archival…
- 5 The Lost Road and Other Writings: Language and Legend Before The Lord of the Rings
Book 5 · edited_collection · 1987
- 6 The Return of the Shadow: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part One
Book 6 · edited_collection · 1988
The Return of the Shadow is the first volume of the The History of The Lord of the Rings and the sixth volume of The History of Middle-earth. It is a history of the creation of The Lord of the Rings, a fascinating study of Tolkien's great…
- 7 The Treason of Isengard: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Two
Book 7 · edited_collection · 1989
- 8 The War of the Ring: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Three
Book 8 · edited_collection · 1990
- 9 Sauron Defeated: The End of the Third Age
Book 9 · edited_collection · 1992
In the first part of Sauron Defeated, Christopher Tolkien completes his account of the writing of The Lord of the Rings, beginning with Sam's rescue of Frodo from the Tower of Kirith Ungol, and giving a very different account of the…
- 10 Morgoth's Ring: The Later Silmarillion, Part One
Book 10 · edited_collection · 1993
In Morgoth's Ring, the tenth volume of The History of Middle-earth and the first of two companion volumes, Christopher Tolkien describes and documents the legends of the Elder Days, as they were evolved and transformed by his father in…
- 11 The War of the Jewels: The Later Silmarillion, Part Two
Book 11 · edited_collection · 1994
- 12 The Peoples of Middle-earth
Book 12 · edited_collection · 1996
Study of the Appendices to "The Lord of the Rings," which contain the historical structure of the Second and Third Ages, with additional writings from Tolkien's later years offering new insights into his fictional world, and the abandoned…
trilogy · complete
The Great Tales
Three standalone editions presenting the major unfinished First Age tales from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.
- 1 The Children of Húrin
Book 1 · edited_book · 2007
- 2 Beren and Lúthien
Book 2 · edited_book · 2017
Painstakingly restored from J.R.R. Tolkien’s manuscripts and presented for the first time as a continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of Beren and Lúthien will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and…
- 3 The Fall of Gondolin
Book 3 · edited_book · 2018
"In the Tale of The Fall of Gondolin are two of the greatest powers in the world. There is Morgoth of the uttermost evil, unseen in this story but ruling over a vast military power from his fortress of Angband. Deeply opposed to Morgoth…
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Essays and speeches (1)
Edited works (10)
- The Pardoner's Tale
edited_book · 1958
- The Nun's Priest's Tale
edited_book · 1959
- The Man of Law's Tale
edited_book · 1969
- The Silmarillion
edited_book · 1977
The Silmarillion is an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien’s world. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took…
- Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth
edited_collection · 1980
On Oklahoma's Big Rock Prairie, a deaf boy finds a body in Pennington Creek. Johnston County Deputy Hannah Bond and Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Sergeant Bill Maytubby find a crime scene where nothing seems to fit--from the dead angler's…
- The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien: A Selection
edited_collection · 1981
- The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays
edited_collection · 1983
A collection of seven essays by J.R.R. Tolkien arising out of Tolkien's work in medieval literature
- The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún
edited_collection · 2009
- The Fall of Arthur
edited_book · 2013
FANTASY. THE FALL OF ARTHUR recounts in verse the last campaign of King Arthur who, even as he stands at the threshold of Mirkwood is summoned back to Britain by news of the treachery of Mordred. Already weakened in spirit by Guinevere's…
- Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, Together with Sellic Spell
edited_book · 2014
Other (3)
- The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise
scholarly_edition · 1960
- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl and Sir Orfeo
scholarly_edition · 1975
- The Map of Beleriand and the Lands to the North
graphic_work · 1978
Frequently asked questions about Christopher Tolkien
Who was Christopher Tolkien, and how was he related to J.R.R. Tolkien?
Christopher Reuel Tolkien (1924–2020) was an English scholar, editor, and literary executor, as well as J.R.R. Tolkien’s third son.
What was Christopher Tolkien’s career?
He taught Old and Middle English and Old Norse at Oxford, became a Fellow of New College, and later devoted his career to editing his father’s unpublished writings.
Sources: glam.ox.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)
How did J.R.R. Tolkien influence Christopher Tolkien?
Christopher became an early and highly engaged reader of his father’s work, reviewing drafts, sketching maps, and participating in the Oxford literary circle known as the Inklings.
Sources: new.ox.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)
What award did Christopher Tolkien receive?
In 2016, the Bodleian Libraries awarded him the Bodley Medal, their highest honour, recognizing his scholarly and editorial contribution to his father’s literary legacy.
What is Christopher Tolkien’s lasting legacy?
His rigorous editorial work brought a large body of J.R.R. Tolkien’s unpublished manuscripts to readers and provided scholars with an unusually detailed record of the development of Tolkien’s imagined world.
Sources: glam.ox.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)