Tolkien Early Related Books

This article is listing books about Tolkien and his works published before 1980. It does not cover books written by Tolkien himself, see other pages.

It also does not cover magazines, articles or fanzines.

It is in chronological order of first publication, but gives subsequent publications of the same book with first publication date each. Please note that this is not a fully complete summary of all variations of each book, it includes quite a few but not all.

This article covers UK and US editions, no other countries.

This book is a good resource for early books:

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tolkien_Criticism:_An_Annotated_Checklist

These resources have some good details:

https://fanlore.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Tolkien_Fandom

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Index:Writings_by_year

https://www.forodrim.org/bibliography/tolklist(11th_ed).html

1968

The Tolkien Relation by William Ready

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Tolkien_Relation

US hardback

Copp Clark

US Paperback (1981)

Warner

ISBN: 9780446301107

published in paperback as Understanding Tolkien and Lord of the Rings (1969)

ISBN: 9780446756464

US Paperback

Paperback Library

US Paperback

Warner

US Paperback (1978)

Warner

ISBN: 9780446887823

US Paperback

Ballantine

ISBN: 7099300125

1968

Tolkien and the Critics

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tolkien_and_the_Critics

US Hardback

Notre Dame

ISBN: 9780268982324

1969

A Look Behind "The Lord of the Rings" by Lin Carter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolkien:_A_Look_Behind_%22The_Lord_of_the_Rings%22

USPaperback

Balantine

ISBN: 9780345015501

Paperback Only

US Paperback

Balantine

ISBN: 9780345275394

UK Hardback (2003)

Gollancz

ISBN: 9780575075481

1971

A Guide to Middle-earth by Robert Foster

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Complete_Guide_to_Middle-earth

https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol14/iss1/2/

US Hardback

Mirage Press

ISBN: 9780883581056

US Paperback (1975)

Balantine

ISBN: 9780345249364

US Hardback Revised Edition (1978)

Balantine

US Paperback (1979)

Del Rey

ISBN: 9780345279750

US Paperback

Balantine

US Paperback (1985)

Del Rey

ISBN: 9780345324368

UK Hardback (1978)

George, Allen & Unwin

ISBN: 9780048030023

UK Paperback (1978)

Unwin

UK Paperback (1978)

Unwin

ISBN: 9780048030016

US Hardback (2003)

Del Rey

ISBN: 9780345465290

UK Hardcover (2010)

Harper

ISBN: 9780007169429

Easton Press

Hardback

1972

JRR Tolkien by Robley Evans

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/J.R.R._Tolkien_(Writers_for_the_70%27s)

US Hardback

Thomas Y Cowell

ISBN: 9780690010527

US Paperback (1976)

Warner

ISBN: 9780446689885

1972

Master of Middle-Earth by Paul Kocher

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Master_of_Middle-earth

US Hardback

Houghton Mifflin

US Paperback (1977)

Ballantine

UK Hardback

Thames & Hudson

9780500010952

UK Paperback (1974)

Penguin

1973

Good News from Tolkien’s Middle-Earth by Gracia Fay Ellwood

US Paperback

Eerdmans

ISBN: 9780802812858

1973

Tree by Tolkien by Colin Wilson

UK Hardback

Covent Garden Press

600 Limited

US Hardback (1974)

Capra Press

ISBN: 9780912264974

US Paperback

Capra Press

ISBN: 9780912264967

US Paperback (1974)

Village Press

1974

The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-earth by Ruth S. Noel

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Languages_of_Tolkien%27s_Middle-earth

US Paperback

Mirage

US Paperback (1980)
Houghton Mifflin

ISBN: 9780395291306

1974

Tolkien’s World by Randel Helms

UK Hardback

Thames & Hudson, London

ISBN: 9780500011140

UK Paperback

Panther, London

ISBN: 0780586043653

US Hardback

Houghton Mifflin

ISBN: 9780395184905

1975

A Tolkien Compass, a book of critical essays

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/A_Tolkien_Compass

US Hardback

Open Court

ISBN: 9780875483160

US Paperback

US Paperback Re-Issue (1980)

Del Ray

ISBN: 9780345288554

US Paperback Re-Issue (2002)

Open Court

ISBN: 9780875483030

1976

The Tolkien Companion by J.E.A. Tyler

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Tolkien_Companion

UK Hardback

Macmillan

ISBN: 0780333196335

UK Paperback

Macmillan (Picador)

ISBN: 9780330245937

UK Hardback ‘New’ Updated Re-Issue (1979)

Macmillan

ISBN: 9780333275320

UK Paperback ‘New’ Updated Re-Issue (1979)

Macmillan

ISBN: 9780330258012

UK Paperback ‘Complete’ Updated Re-Issue (2002)

Pan

US Hardback(1976)

St Martin’s Press

ISBN: 9780517279144

US Hardback (1979)

Gramercy

ISBN: 9780517146484

US Hardback - 2nd Edition (1979)

Gramercy

Same ISBN as 1st Edition

US Paperback Updated Re-Issue (1980)

Avon

ISBN: 9780380469048

1976

Architect of Middle-Earth by Daniel Grotta

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/J.R.R._Tolkien:_Architect_of_Middle-earth

US Paperback

Running Press

ISBN: 9780914294283

US Paperback (1977)

Warner

ISBN: 9780446894104

US Hardback (1978)

Grosset & Dunlap

ISBN: 9780448148373

US Paperback (1978)

Running Press

ISBN: 9780894710453

US Paperback (1981)

Grand Central

ISBN: 9780446301114

US Hardback (1992)

Running Press

ISBN: 9781561381128

US Hardback (2002)

Running Press

ISBN: 9780762413379

1976

Tolkien and the Silmarillion by Clyde Kilby

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tolkien_and_The_Silmarillion

UK Hardback

Harold Shaw

ISBN: 9780877888161

UK Paperback (1976)

Lion

ISBN: 9780856480782

1977

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter

http://www.tolkiengateway.net/wiki/J.R.R._Tolkien:_A_Biography

UK Hardback

George Allen and Unwin

ISBN: 9780049280373

UK Paperback (1978)

Unwin

ISBN: 9780049280397

US Paperback (1987)

Harper Collins

ISBN: 9780049280700

US Hardback (1977)

Houghton Mifflin

US Papaerback (1978)

Ballantine

ISBN: 9780345272560

1977

Middle-Earth: The World of Tolkien Illustrated by Lin Carter/David Wenzel

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Middle_Earth:_The_World_of_Tolkien_Illustrated

Centaur

US Paperback

ISBN: 9780878180141

1977

The Mythology of Middle Earth by Ruth S Noel

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Mythology_of_Middle-earth

UK Hardback

Thames & Hudson

ISBN: 0500011877

US Paperback (1978)

Mifflin

ISBN: 9780395272084

Renamed: The Mythology of Tolkien’s Middle Earth

US Paperback

Panther

ISBN: 9780586046692


1978
Eglerio! In Praise of Tolkien by Anne Etkin

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Eglerio!_In_Praise_of_Tolkien

US Paperback

Quest


1978

Lightning From a Clear Sky by Richard Mathews

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Lightning_from_a_Clear_Sky

US Paperback

Borgo Press
ISBN: 9780893702212

1978

The Tolkien Scrapbook

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Tolkien_Scrapbook

US Hardback

Grosset & Dunlap

ISBN: 9780448164458

US Hardback

Running Press

ISBN: 9780894710827

US Paperback

Running Press

US Hardback - republished as A Tolkien Treasury (1989)

Running Press

ISBN: 9780894717048

US Hardback (2001)

Courage

ISBN: 9780762409945

US Paperback (2012)

Running Press

ISBN: 9780762447459

1979

One Ring to Bind Them All by Anne C Petty

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/One_Ring_to_Bind_Them_All:_Tolkien%27s_Mythology

US Hardback

Alabama Press

ISBN: 9780817378283

US Paperback (2002)

Alabama Press

ISBN: 9780817302153

1979

The Individuated Hobbit by Timothy R O’Neill

US Hardback

Mifflin

ISBN: 9780395282083

UK Hardback (1979)

Thomas and Hudson

ISBN: 9780500012376

1979

A Middle-Earth Album by Joan Wyatt

http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/art/amiddle-earthalbum/description.htm

US Hardback

Simon and Schuster

ISBN: 9780671249540

US Paperback

Thames & Hudson

ISBN: 9870500271582

1979

A Tolkien Bestiary by David Day

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/A_Tolkien_Bestiary

US Hardback

Ballantine

ISBN: 9780345282835

US: Paperback (1979)

Crescent

ISBN: 9780855334147

US Hardback (1990)

Crescent

ISBN: 9780517473252

UK Hardback (1992)

Artists House

ISBN: 9781857320848