'The Return of the Shadow' is the first part of the history of the creation of 'The Lord of the
Rings' a fascinating study of Tolkien's great masterpiece from its inception to the end of
the first volume 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. In 'The Return of the Shadow' (the abandoned
title of the first volume of 'The Lord of the Rings') we see how Bilbo's 'magic' ring evolved
into the supremely dangerous Ruling Ring of the Dark Lord and the precise and astonishingly
unforeseen moment when a Black Rider first rode into the Shire. The character of the hobbit
called Trotter (afterwards Strider or Aragorn) is developed though his true identity seems to
be an insoluble problem. Frodo's companions undergo many changes of name and personality and
other major figures appear in unfamiliar guises: a sinister Treebeard in league with the Enemy
and a ferocious malevolent Farmer Maggot. This book comes complete with reproductions of the
first maps and facsimile pages from the earlier manuscripts. "The pure imaginative power of
J.R.R.Tolkien shines through...an excellent example of the creative imagination at work."
BALTIMORE SUN
