If only we were more eager to live by these words.

Want to find out more about the characters, places and things from Tolkien's writings on Middle-Earth? The vast majority of this site is dedicated to creating encyclopedia by type for both the better known books such as The Hobbit and for the History of Middle-Earth series. At this time these are works in progress, so not every entry has been added yet. There are also some essays on various Middle-Earth related topics, as well as sections on The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.

Tolkien wrote all the Middle-Earth books to give England a mythology which he thought was lacking, as he said in a letter to Milton Waldman: "I was from early days grieved by the poverty of my own beloved country: it had no stories of its own (bound up with its tongue and soil)...There was Greek, and Celtic, and Romance...but nothing English save impoverished chapbook stuff"(L.131).

Other books Tolkien wrote include:

Smith of Wootton Major
Farmer Giles of Ham
Tree and Leaf
Mr. Bliss
Sir Gwain and the Green Knight (a translation from Middle-English)
Pearl (a translation from Middle-English)
On Fairy Stories, often combined with Leaf By Niggle
The Monsters and the Critics (a series of lectures he gave on various topics)

Many of these are childrens books or essays, books and lectures for the classes he taught.