Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit who only wanted to be left alone, is drawn by a wizard and a band of homeless dwarves into a quest where he confronts evil orcs, savage wolves, and the great dragon, Smaug the Magnificent.

Frodo and his companions have been beset by danger during the quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord, Gandalf has been lost in the Mines of Moria, and now they journey down the great River Anduin toward the Cracks of Doom.

Tales and legends chronicling the world's beginnings and the happenings of the First Age set the stage for Tolkien's other classic works and focus on the theft of the Elves' jewels by Morgoth, first dark Lord of Middle-earth.

"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 is Ulmo, second in might only to Manwë, chief of the Valar: he is called the Lord of Waters, of all seas, lakes, and rivers under the sky. But he works in secret in Middle-earth to support the Noldor, the kindred...

Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal elf. Her father, a great elvish lord, in deep opposition to Beren, imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. To show something of the process whereby this legend of Middle-earth evolved over the years, [Christopher Tolkien] has told the story in his father's own words by giving, first, its original form, and then passages in prose and verse from later texts...

The epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo's frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards...

The little hobbit and his trusty companion make a terrible journey to the heart of the land of the Shadow in a final reckoning with the power of Sauron.

"Smaug parecía profundamente dormido cuando Bilbo espió una vez más desde la entrada. ¡Pero Fingía! ¡Estaba vigilando la entrada del túnel! ... Sacado de su cómodo agujero-hobbit por Gandalf y una banda de enanos, Bilbo se encuentra de pronto en medio de una conspiración que pretende apoderarse del tesoro de Smaug el Magnifico, un enorme y muy peligroso dragón ..."--P. [4] of cover.