Concise Bibliography of J. R. R. Tolkien

What started out as a simple entertaining children's book, "The Hobbit", ended up as one of the greatest literary achievements of the twentieth century, the monumental "The Lord of the Rings." Though Peter Jackson's film adaptation was hugely successful, reading the classic is the ultimate transcendent experience. Later, a prequel, "Silmarillion" also appeared but was not as  accessible to the lay reader as the earlier books.

After his death, his son Christopher, compiled his "Unfinished Tales." Earlier, his shorter works were published as "The Tolkien Reader." This contained his erudite, magisterial essay "On Fairy Tales."

A superb introduction to the fantasy world of Tolkien, "Master of Middle Earth" by Prof. Paul H. Kocher provided the definitive guide to the enchanted world.

A delightful in-depth exploration of the trilogy, placing it in the context of the time & literary space was "Tolkien: A Look behind The Lord of the Rings." By Lin Carter.

A scholarly collection of studies & interpretations of the work by various contributors was edited by Jared Lobdell in "A Tolkien Compass."

Humphrey Carpenter, the brain behind the irreplaceable "Oxford Companion to Children's Literature", actually met the great man & produced the Authorised Biography of Tolkien, giving great insights into his mind.