Inspired by The Hobbit, and begun in 1937, The Lord of the Rings is a trilogy that Tolkien created to provide “the necessary background of history for Elvish tongues.” From these academic aspirations was born one of the most popular and imaginative works in English literature.

The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume in the trilogy, tells of the fateful power of the One Ring. It begins a magnificent tale of adventure that will plunge the members of the Fellowship of the Ring into a perilous quest and set the stage for the ultimate clash between powers of good and evil.

In this splendid, unabridged audio production of Tolkien’s great work, all the inhabitants of a magical universe–hobbits, elves, and wizards–step colorfully forth from the pages. Rob Inglis’ narration has been praised as a masterpiece of audio.

THE FIRST PART OF J.R.R. TOLKIEN’S EPIC MASTERPIECE, THE LORD OF THE RINGS

In a quiet village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins is about to receive a gift that will change his life forever.

Thought lost centuries ago, it is the One Ring, an object of terrifying power once used by the Dark Lord to enslave Middle-earth. Now darkness is rising, and Frodo must travel deep into the Dark Lord’s realm, to the one place the Ring can be destroyed: Mount Doom.

The journey will test Frodo’s courage, his friendships and his heart. Because the Ring corrupts all who bear it–can Frodo destroy it, or will it destroy him?This brand-new unabridged recording is narrated by the acclaimed actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.

Like every other hobbit, Bilbo Baggins likes nothing better than a quiet evening in his snug hole in the ground, dining on a sumptuous dinner in front of a fire. But when a wandering wizard captivates him with tales of the unknown, Bilbo becomes restless. Soon he joins the wizard’s band of homeless dwarves in search of giant spiders, savage wolves, and other dangers. Bilbo quickly tires of the quest for adventure and longs for the security of his familiar home. But before he can return to his life of comfort, he must face the greatest threat of all-a treasure-troving dragon named Smaug. In his fantasy classic, master storyteller J.R.R. Tolkein creates a bewitching world filled with delightful creatures and thrilling dangers. Narrator Rob Inglis will hold listeners of all ages spellbound with his skillful portrayal of hobbits, dwarves, and enchanted beasts.

THE GREAT MODERN CLASSIC AND PRELUDE TO THE LORD OF THE RINGS

Deep down here by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature. I don’t know where he came from, nor who
or what he was. He was Gollum–as dark as darkness, except for two big round pale eyes in his thin face. He had a little
boat, and he rowed about quite quietly on the lake; for lake it was, wide and deep and deadly cold.

Whisked away from his comfortable, unambitious life in his hobbit-hole in Bag End by Gandalf the wizard and a
band of dwarves, Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent,
a large and very dangerous dragon.

This brand-new unabridged recording is narrated by the acclaimed actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.

The original American full dramatization as broadcast on National Public Radio. Bilbo Baggins, a gentle hobbit who loves the comforts of home, reluctantly joins a company of dwarves on a journey to recover plundered gold from a fierce dragon. It’s a tale of high adventure and astonishing courage-and a magical prelude to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The Return of the King is the towering climax to J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy that tells the saga of the hobbits of Middle-earth and the great War of the Ring. In this concluding volume, Frodo and Sam make a terrible journey to the heart of the Land of the Shadow in a final reckoning with the power of Sauron.

In addition to narrating the prose passages, Rob Inglis sings the trilogy’s songs and poems a capella, using melodies composed by Inglis and Claudia Howard, the Recorded Books studio director. The 13th CD in this recording contains Tolkien’s preface to the trilogy, including a prior history of the ring, and shire habitat,
history, and folkways.

–Also includes The Annals of the Kings and Rulers, an appendix to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

THE THIRD PART OF J.R.R. TOLKIEN’S EPIC MASTERPIECE, THE LORD OF THE RINGS

The Dark Lord Sauron has risen, and as he unleashes hordes of Orcs to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggle deep into his realm in Mordor.

To defeat Sauron, the One Ring must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.

But the way is impossibly hard, and Frodo is weakening. The Ring corrupts all who bear it and Frodo’s time is running out.

Will Sam and Frodo succeed, or will the Dark Lord rule Middle-earth once more?

This brand-new unabridged recording is narrated by the acclaimed actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.

The original American full dramatization as broadcast on National Public Radio. War rages in the west-a titanic battle of will and strategy between the great wizard Gandalf and Sauron, the dark lord. Meanwhile, eastward in Mordor, Frodo and Sam approach the end of their improbable quest, bearing the One Ring ever closer to the Cracks of Doom-and to a final confrontation with the very essence of evil.

Inspired by The Hobbit, and begun in 1937, The Lord of the Rings is the saga of the great War of the Ring. As he crafted the alphabets, languages, and landscapes of Middle-earth, J.R.R. Tolkien created one of the most popular and imaginative works in English literature.

The Two Towers is the second volume of The Lord of the Rings. The Fellowship has been forced to split up. Frodo and Sam must continue alone towards Mount Doom, where the ring must be destroyed. Meanwhile, at Helm’s Deep and Isengard, the first great battles of the War of the Ring take shape.

In this splendid, unabridged audio production of Tolkien’s great work, all the inhabitants of a magical universe–hobbits, elves, and wizards–step colorfully forth from the pages. Rob Inglis’ narration has been praised as a masterpiece of audio.

THE SECOND PART OF J.R.R. TOLKIEN’S EPIC MASTERPIECE, THE LORD OF THE RINGS

The Fellowship is scattered. Some prepare for war against the Dark Lord. Some fight against the treachery of the corrupt wizard Saruman. Only Frodo and Sam are left to take the accursed Ring to be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.

Mount Doom lies in the very heart of the Dark Lord’s realm. Their only guide on this perilous journey is Gollum, a deceitful and obsessive creature who once possessed the Ring and longs to wield its power once again.

As dark forces assemble, the fate of Middle-earth rests with two lonely hobbits–but is Gollum leading them to their deaths?

This brand-new unabridged recording is narrated by the acclaimed actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.

The original American full dramatization as broadcast on National Public Radio. The Fellowship is broken; the quest to destroy the Ring seems already shrouded in disaster. But as the evil lord Sauron readies his armies for war, Frodo and Sam continue their lonely journey toward Mordor, guided only by Gollum-a deceitful and tortured creature, helplessly in thrall to the Ring’s dark power.