The Fall of Numenor: And Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle-Earth

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien is a collection of writings on the Second Age of Middle-earth, which was previously only hinted at in The Lord of the Rings and its appendices. It provides a fuller story of the rise and fall of the island of Númenor, including the forging of the Rings of Power and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.

Format: CD-Audio
Publication date: 16 March 2023
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

The writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, spanning the Second Age of Middle-earth, have been compiled for the first time in a single volume. Tolkien himself referred to this era as a "dark age," and much of its history remains shrouded in mystery. For years, readers were limited to the tantalizing glimpses of this period found within the pages of The Lord of the Rings and its appendices, including the forging of the Rings of Power, the construction of Barad-dûr, and the rise of Sauron. However, it was not until Christopher Tolkien published The Silmarillion after his father's death that a more comprehensive account of the Second Age could be told. While The Silmarillion primarily focused on the First Age of Middle-earth, it contained two key works that shed light on the tumultuous events surrounding the rise and fall of the island of Númenor. Raised from the Great Sea and bestowed upon the Men of Middle-earth as a reward for their assistance in defeating the Dark Lord Morgoth and capturing the Elves, Númenor became a powerful and wealthy kingdom. However, as the Númenóreans' power grew, the seeds of their downfall, culminating in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, were inevitably sown.

Subsequent publications, such as Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth and Christopher Tolkien's monumental twelve-volume The History of Middle-earth, provided even deeper insights into the Second Age. Editor Brian Sibley has now assembled a new chronicle of this era, largely in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien, into a single comprehensive volume, adhering to the timeline outlined in the appendices to The Lord of the Rings. This volume presents a rich tapestry of stories, characters, and events that shaped the world of Middle-earth during this pivotal period.

Weight: 240g
Dimension: 138 x 142 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780008537876
Edition number: Unabridged ed