This book probably fills a need in being one of the few populist appeals for a non-Trinitarian view of God and Christ. ... The book is definitely enthusiastic but is a bit thin on substance.

There are three other books available from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk which might be a better buy. (Be aware that both Amazon sites ship across the Atlantic at very reasonable rates)
[1] Richard Rubenstein: When Jesus became God - a Jewish historian of conflict resolution examines how the early church controversies lead to the adoption of the Trinity. Not much related to the New Testament but fascinating reading all the same.
[2] Anthony Buzzard: The Doctrine of the Trinity - an appeal for a non-Trinitarian view of Christ, with good section on the history of early Trinitarianism.
[3] James Broughton, Peter Southgate: The Trinity True or False? Much more thorough and complete than Buzzard on the scripture sections, but very brief on the historical side.

Most non-trinitarians know who Jesus is not. Very few know who Jesus is. This book fully explains who Jesus is and why he is not "GOD the SON" or a "mere" mortal (as the trinitarians would like you to think all non-trinitarians believe). You will learn why believing he is the "highly exalted" Son of God is the truth.

These authors explore a subject that for most orthodox Christians is not to be questioned. However, anyone who seriously studies the Scriptures cannot reconcile the Jesus revealed in the churches with the Jesus revealed in the Scriptures. This book reveals the truth about Jesus and where and when the error crept into the Christian faith.

It is a must read for any believer who truly wishes to know who the only begotten Son of God is.

Few people change their minds on their opinions about the nature of God, but those willing to put their faith to the test will be rewarded by a careful examination of this book's arguments. Non-trinitarians who hold Jesus as Lord will see this as validation. Trinitarians will see it as heresy.

The Bible instructs Christ's followers to "prove all things, hold fast to that which is good." Just as non-trinitarians should read the best trinitarian arguments, trinitarians should read this book. It is probably the best non-trinitarian argument in print.

This put quite simply is a great book. It's easy to read, very user friendly, and don't be put off by the fact that it is just over 165 pages.
Fans of Tolkein (myself included) will enjoy this book tremendously for several reasons.
1) It's bang up to date, and incorporates comparisons between the new movies, and the original text
2) It's fairly chronological in helping even the newest visitor to Tolkeins World's, gain some understanding
3) It's unbiased, unopinionated, and objective in its explanations.
But above and beyond all of this it is one of the few recent books that has NOT fallen into what I refer to as "shameless commercialism". Whether you know all of Tolkeins works backwards, or have only seen the recent hit movies - this will help you enjoy one of the finest works of fiction of the 20th Century (and it was others far more eminent than me who said that). I first read the Hobbit in 1975 and have been a fan of Tolkein ever since, but since the enormous success of the wonderful recent and upcoming movies have been saddened by the seemingly endless line of "experts" offering in depth and (in their opinion) inciteful explanations as to the mind, the work, and the "hidden" messages of Tolkeins texts. There are a lot of worthless products out there at the moment simply trying to cash in and ride the gravy train - I'm happy to recommend this book, as NOT one of them. Enjoy.

Did you know that, our word excellentis derived from "excalibur"?meaning, beyond human standards, or pleasing to the gods. That what this book does, it gives the root of legends. Its a must readalong with. The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter, and,The Sorcerer's Companion. This is why, i like children's booksto get the same, info. I would had to pour through, dozens of books. in many libraries, [been there, done that.] And never Really, get the answers to my questions.These simple books answer most, questions in a fun easy to read style.

Tolkien's epic fantasies deserve a strong reader's supplement, and David Colbert's Magical Worlds Of Lord Of The Rings will appeal to any teen interested in the folklore and legends behind his Middle Earth worlds. From Finnish sagas to Shakespeare and King Arthur, Magical Worlds Of Lord Of The Rings draws together insights from other works of fiction and fable to lend added depth to Tolkien's creation.

This work is nothing more than the attempt to make money off his fathers work. It is sad that he would go to this length to captilize on the popularity of the Lord of the Rings. Im greatly dissapointed. His father was a good man, a good christian, and a great writer. His son is none of the above.

Once more Christopher Tolkien has done a valuable service for literary historians and anyone interested in the craft of writing in his elegant overview of his father's struggles in creating the Lord of the Rings. His recounting of his father's writing is a fascinating saga in its own right, chronicling his father's subtle changes in the personas of characters as diverse as Boromir and Treebeard. Of special note is how significant Boromir's role might have been if he hadn't died in battle at the end of "The Fellowship of the Ring". I was also intrigued with Tolkien making numerous changes in his depiction (and indeed, names for) of Gondor and Lothlorien, among others. There is a excellent overview on Tolkien's map of Middle-earth, noting its significant changes over the years from the 1920's until it assumed its present form for the Rings trilogy. At the end of this lengthy tome is a fine introduction to runes and how they underwent their own transformation while Tolkien was at work writing the Rings trilogy.

. . .to the History of Middle Earth Collection.

"The Treason of Isengard" is the seventh volume in Christopher Tolkien's masterful "History of Middle Earth" series, and the second volume in the subset within that series dedicated to the history of "The Lord of the Rings". As I've suggested in a previous review, all those prospective authors out there should "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest" what Christoper has done in these volumes. He has provided an in-depth, graduate-level seminar in the process behind writing a novel. For this reason alone, the book is valuable.

But the book's value far exceeds its mere literary merit for those who truly love Middle-Earth. (Although I disagree with much of what Peter Beagle has written about "The Lord of the Rings", I can sympathize with his desire to go to Middle-Earth! I wish I could, as well!

This book details the material that eventually became the end of "The Fellowship of the Ring" and the first part of "The Two Towers". In it, we see the earliest forms of the visit to Lorien, the fall and repentance of Boromir, and the events leading up to the fall of Isengard (which is related in the next volume). Of particular interest:

Tolkien still struggles with how to portray the Ents. Originally, Treebeard was Giant Tree Beard -- and an enemy.

The numerous illustrations provided throughout the book. I found particularly interesting the various stages of development that

Orthanc underwent.

The Appendix on runes. Apparently, the runic inscription on Balin's tomb in Moria led Tolkien into an elaborate description of runes and their types, who used what, etc. Some of this material made it into the Appendix of "The Lord of the Rings" -- but not all of it.

Altogether, and enjoyable read. I fervently wish that more effort was concentrated on Tolkien scholarship than on fandom -- but such is the way of the world, I suppose.

Five Stars -- and well worth it.

I read John Bevere's book, "The Voice of One Crying" and then immediately read this book. Both were excellent. In this book, I came to agree with Bevere that there is an irreverence that has infiltrated (for lack of a better word) the church. People simply do not respect the presence of God as they did at one time. This book will teach you not just how to develop a fear of the Lord, but why it is so necessary. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to develop a closer walk with God.

John Bevere has written one of the greatest messages on this subject that not only is true and insightful, but also balanced in it's teaching. He brings such a greater understanding of the true Fear of the Lord. You should get done reading this book and know that to Fear God is not to be afraid of God. That He is not some abusive father, but Someone to whom we are to show respect, reverence, and honor to. Every Christian believer should read this book. Every Christian should learn to walk in the Fear of the Lord and truly reverence Him as John Bevere shows in this book.

This book had a powerful message on the fear of the Lord. We have been hearing many messages on the loving, and compassionate side of God but at the same time, we need a balance to hear messages about the fear of God. We need a balance of understanding the characteristics of God. If we only understand only one side of God, we will have an unbalanced view of who God is. If we ONLY understand about a caring, loving, compassionate God, it will lead to living a lifestyle of compromise. If we ONLY thinks that God is a judge, sin hating, holy, etc, it will lead a person to live a life of legalism. We need a balanced view of who God is.

At the same time, we need to hear the fear of God today and understand it. I totally recommend this book all the way. Please do not misunderstand that I always put the Word of God first above all books. Also I want to recommend another book by John Bevere called Hearts Ablaze.

I'm a fan of Dunsany's work. I was drawn to this novel due to his magical descriptions of the natural world in his short stories. There is an innocent childish wonder in his narration which works well when the text is inspired. This book, however, I felt is written for children -- more so than his other work. He repeats obvious details over and over, almost chant-like. The plot is obvious and fatalistic. When I read this book, I felt it should be spoken aloud, to children, and each chapter is only a few pages long. I've seen many comparisons here to Tolkien, but I think they are missing the fact that Tolkien brought fantasy to an adult level of text, whereas Dunsany doesn't. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone just recently introduced to Dunsany unless I'd want them to be turned off to his work. However, if you are into story-telling to children, this is an excellent choice!

You should read this book- but not because it has a good plot, or because the characters are interesting- but because it is a classic and the author has a gift for language. Reading it is like eating some stale bread filled with treats- it is painful to endure, but the morsels inside make it bearable.

The plot is basically- lame, lame, lame. The characters do not rise much above the plot. The magnificent thing about this book is that it was written before most other modern fantasy works- and it set the stage for them. Thus, it is worth reading to see how it influenced the genre. The author also has a clever wit and a gift for language. However, many of the scenes seem simply poorly thought out- which seems impossible because others have a deep intracacy. It is almost as if he were writing down a tale he was saying aloud- and in which he was forgetting certain bits and overemphasizing others.

However, with all that said- you should read the book. It disappoints me, but is fascinating at the same time. The culture of the 20's must have been unbearable to live in, if the book is any reflection whatsoever of the time period.

It isn't a very long story, so it isn't really a waste of time even if you don't like it. It is like taking medicine- your responsibility to be a complete fantasy reader.

Before Tolkien told his children bedtime stories about hobbits and dwarves, there was Lord Dunsany. One of the early fantasy writers, Dunsany only wrote a few full-length novels -- one of which was the haunting, beautifully-written "Charwoman's Shadow." (And if anyone thinks that J.K. Rowling made up the immortality elixir and "philosopher/sorcerer's stone," they better read this!)

Ramon Alonzo is a young Spanish nobleman sent to find a dowry for his sister Mirandola. He goes to a powerful magician to learn alchemy -- how to turn dross into gold. The magician agrees, at a price: Ramon Alonzo's shadow. At first he's inclined to give up his shadow, but an elderly charwoman warns him not to. She gave up her shadow, and now is shunned by everyone except the magician because if her contact with dark magic.

Eventually Ramon Alonzo agrees to give up his shadow in exchange for a replacement, which turns out to be a dud. His attempts at magic for his sister's sake begin to go horribly wrong, and he finds his very soul in peril as he struggles to fulfil his promise to the charwoman, and get back both of their shadows.

Most of Dunsany's fantasy stories are set in fictional lands full of magic and wizards and gods. This one is slightly different, as it is set in a sort of semi-fictional part of Spain, and magic is something which seeps naturally to great evil. But the entire world it's set in has the same sort of fantastical edge that his books usually do. Kids with a good attention span can read this, though some may be bored by the gradual pace and flowery language. And the language is very flowery. Dunsany writes in his standard dreamy prose, with a lot of very strange imagery (like the charwoman scrubbing a bloodstained floor stone, or Ramon Alonzo's fake shadow getting up and racing away).

Ramon Alonzo is a nice leading character -- he's a good guy who gets enmeshed in bad things for good reasons. His spiritual struggle and chivalrous rescue of the charwoman Anemone and her shadow are central to the plot. Anemone herself remains a mystery for most of the book, although one development is rather obvious early on. The magician is a cold, unsympathetic character who "scorns salvation" and shows no pity to someone he's wronged. Father Joseph serves as the counterbalance for the magician, a kindly priest who helps Ramon Alonzo out.

A beautiful story about love, magic, and kindness, this is a must-read for fans of classic fantasy. See why Dunsany is still one of the best.

I reccomend buying the book, "The Art of The Lord of The Rings, Fellowship of the Ring" instead. Why? It is amazing, and has way more information inside it. This book here, is slim, small and has some good pictures, it is a solid collectors item. If you are into costume re-recreation, you would be happier buying the LOTR "art of" book because it has great drawings inside of it, that plus get yourself the LOTR FOTR extended edition DVD 4 disc set for more costume research needs. Overall, This book here has mostly fluff, good pictures, not the information I needed for my costume research needs.

This Photo Guide to The Fellowship of the Ring is a lovely collection of pictures from the first Lord of the Rings movie. The captions and text are minimal, but appropriate. Although designed for children, anyone who would like an inexpensive book that can tease your memories of the movie, this is an excellent one.

Beginning with Suaron's tower in Mordor and Frodo sitting in a tree, to the battle in Moria, ending with The Fellowship leaving Lothlorien, the photos are good representations of the story line. Colors are clear and crisp. Only two pictures were omitted which should have appeared here: Arwen with Frodo on horseback at the river, with the horse rearing, and the guardians carved into the cliffs on either side of the river.

Anyone who enjoys this book would also be interested in the Photo Guide for The Two Towers, also published by Houghton-Mifflin.

this book is fabulous! I loved the movie so much and you can see some great pictures here! I love Elijah Wood and all the other hobbits, and if you love the movie, you'll love this book I think! Well I hope you liked my review, and by the way, if you saw the movie, you should read the books! They are really good too, and you'll want to know whats gonna happen in the next movies!

Of the thrilling and informative History of Middle-Earth series, this is perhaps the most interesting part. Normal Tolkien fans will get the rare chance to see how the germ of an idea can explode into the most complex cosmology ever created. Although it may seem boring, as it is not a novel per se, it is an insightful analysis of a very beloved book. The Lord of the Rings was initially conceived as a sequel to the Hobbit, growing into something incomparably more vast. We see Bingo in the character of Frodo, the name Frodo applied to another character. Aragorn is named Trotter and the idea emerges that he might be a long lost Hobbit who has had many experiences on the road. Somehow, with many footnotes and comments in the margin, we see the evolution of these ideas into what we know today as LOTR. Fascinating and useful for the Tolkien scholar, the devoted Tolkien reader, or even an aspiring writer.

In the sixth volume of The History of Middle Earth, Christopher Tolkien begins to show us the developement of The Lord of the Rings. This volume reaches the point where Tolkien himself stopped his writing for a long time--the Mines of Moria. Although most of the basic themes remain the same throughout Tolkien's creation, one difference in the early version certainly stands out. Not only is there no mention of the Dunedain, but Aragorn himself is now a hobbit called Trotter whose real name is none other than Peregrin. Also, many of the hobbit names were different and continued to shift back and forth until the present names were finally accepted. I recommend this book to all Tolkien fans, but especially for those who loved LOTR.

. . .for anyone who wants to understand the thought processes behind the greatest exercise in fantasy fiction of all time.

In preparing this volume (and the others in the series) Christopher Tolkien has permitted us access to the inner workings of his father's thought, as the story which ultimately became "The Lord of the Rings" gradually evolved and took shape.

Any aficionado of "The Lord of the Rings" will delight at the early character portrayls of characters like Farmer Maggot and Treebeard (and not the least, Trotter the hobbit whose character ultimately morphs into that of Aragorn).

This book is also highly recommend for any student of language and literature and any budding novelist.

Thank you, Christopher, for your labor of love on behalf of your father.

"Farmer Giles of Ham" is a fast paced fantasy adventure by the same author of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings." However, don't expect an epic like the ones of the other two books here. Tolkien here gives a fantasy adventure in a long ago Britain that is inhabited by supernatural beasts such as giants and dragons. The book is very short and can be read in one sitting.

Farmer Giles is a farmer of Ham, just as the title of the book suggests. When a huge giant comes into the village that he inhabits one night he fights it off and is recognized by the King. Farmer Giles is given a sword, named Tailbiter, and was used by a long ago hero that was a dragonslayer. When the giant spreads rumors of there being nothing in the lands that he came from to dragons, a curious dragon wanders down toward Ham. It is Farmer Giles' job to take care of the dragon. Read this fun filled fantasy adventure to find out the fate of the dragon and Farmer Giles.

This book is basically one very long chapter as it is not broken down into parts and can be thought of as a little part to a much bigger story. This is what differentiates this book from the classics "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings." At the end of the book there is an original text of how the original story was told. There is also a section of notes that were put together for people that are extra curious. The book also has many cute pictures that will get you along through Farmer Giles' adventures.

This is a super short read that can be enjoyed by adults as well as children, who I'd say this book would be liked by most. This simple tale was originally written for J.R.R. Tolkien's children and is like a fun fairy tale. This is a wonderful read that would be enjoyed by fans of Tolkien's other works. Just don't expect another "Lord of the Rings."

Happy Reading!

"Farmer Giles of Ham" (in the vulgar tongue) is an entertaining little tale, maybe the first real comic fantasy novel (actually, more like novella). It's certainly not on par with his tales of hobbits and elves, but it's still cute, funny and very well-written.

Aegidius de Hammo (or in the "vulgar tongue," as Tolkien archly tells us, Farmer Giles of Ham) is a pleasant, not-too-bright farmer (a bit like Barliman Butterbur) who leads a fairly happy life. Until the day his excitable dog Garm warns him that a giant (deaf and very near-sighted) is stomping through and causing mayhem. Giles takes out his blunderbuss and takes a shot at the giant, and inadverantly drive him off.

Naturally, Giles is hailed as a hero. Even the King is impressed, and sends him the sword Caudimordax (vulgar name: Tailbiter), which belonged to a dragonslaying hero. By chance, the not-so-fierce dragon Chrysophylax Dives has started pillaging, destroying and attacking the nearby areas. Can a not-so-heroic farmer drive off a not-so-frightening dragon?

It's a fast, fun little adventure story with blundering giants, greedy dragons and unlikely heroes (the last one is what Tolkien always does best). It's not epic and it's not deep, but it is entertaining, especially for people who enjoy comic fantasies. You'll like this if you enjoyed the cuter moments of "The Hobbit" and stories like "Roverandum."

Tolkien's writing always seems to be winking at the reader. There are a lot of in-jokes for people who know Latin (the "vulgar tongue" comments) and a lot of cute moments, like the young dragons exclaiming that they always knew "knights were mythical!" And the illustrations resemble old tapestries and paintings, but they usually have a funny sort of twist to them.

"Farmer Giles" is not the deepest or most riveting of Tolkien's works, but it's a straightforward, cute little adventure that kids, adults, fans and non-fans of Tolkien will enjoy.

This is a great little book. I can just see that grand old man Mr. Tolkien throwing bottles at his hound & Edith telling him forthrightly to drown the poor thing on the morrow. I'm going to go off-path a bit:Lots of folks say not to read this, that it makes you some kind of mindless Tolkien junkie if you appreciate his non-Middle-Earth material; I simply read on. I haven't spent a fortune on Tolkien: I bought the Hobbit & the Rings Trilogy when I was in sixth grade for $7. Everything else of his, including this, I've gotten at the local library. Smith of Wooton Major, Leaf by Niggle & Roverandom are just neat books worth reading in and of themselves. I read the Silmarillion & enjoyed it. I won't wade through Unfinished or Lost Tales because I'm not a junkie, just an enthusiast. The movies haven't been the most faithful adaptions, but I think Tolkien would have gotten a kick out of them. I'm not a mindless automoton addicted to capitalistic Tolkienia. I just like him because he was a man of faith, a lover of good beer & old yarns, a friend of C.S. Lewis, a fan of Robert E. Howard, & a great writer; he wasn't the smartest, the quickest, or the most academically prolific man, but was expectionally kind, thoughtful and enjoyably creative. Just give his non-Hobbit works a chance; they're good stuff.

I have just received this book in the mail and I am sending it back on Monday. For one thing, the materials this book is constructed out of are very cheap. The cover picture is made with an off-the-shelf 3D graphics program and done in a very amateurish manner. The title "The Hashish Man" was chosen purely to attract what the publishers thought of as a "hip" target audience and smacks at Lord Dunsany's sober genius. Lord Dunsany never took drugs and one would know where he got his inspiration if they read any books about him. Of course, because our times produce writers of infertile minds we automatically assume he had to have been on a drug to write these beautiful and imaginative stories. The publishers are associating Lord Dunsany with "the Hashish Man", the title of this anthology, when in fact in his (fictional) short story Lord Dunsany is approached by the "Hashish Man" who relates to Lord Dunsany how HE travels to dream worlds (via hashish) which is in contrast with Lord Dunsany.

Besides trashing Lord Dunsany's character the introduction is a bad two-page college essay written by a person who is totally unknown. Who is Jon Longhi of San Francisco? Here are a few pathetic quotes by Mr. Longhi: Describing Lord Dunsany's writing, "At times these details veer toward the noisome realm of elves and hobbits". The "realm of elves and hobbits" is only "noisome" because the publishers think that readers of H.P. Lovecraft don't like fantasy writing and that Tolkien is not popular right now. However when Ballantine Books published "The King Of Elfland's Daughter" in 1977, when Tolkien was the flavor of the month with publishers, they boasted "A fantasy novel in a class with the Tolkien books!," which ever way the wind blows I guess. Another quote: "psychedelic rave-up of language and imagery...it's great fun riding on the hallucinations." More drug association. "Captain Shard pilots a boat which sails across the desert on huge wheels, just like the main vehicle in the movie Time Bandits." Doesn't this sound childish? What main vehicle in Time Bandits? The only thing with sails in that movie was the ship on the giant's head, but it did not have wheels. Mr. Longhi might be thinking of the building with sails traversing barren wastelands manned by the intrepid crew of the Crimson Assurance Co. in the mini-movie before Monty Python's Meaning of Life.

Either this guy is an absolute idiot or he is just failing miserably to convince me that he is really anything like the people he is trying to reach. Mr. Longhi, like some desperate college sophomore, has padded out his introduction with a variety of multi-syllabic words in the hopes of impressing the average (ignorant) reader. This introduction should be in an anthology of drugstore-swords & sorcery-escapist-self-indulgent-trash.

I know that anthologies of Lord Dunsany's writings are rare but I would rather have them rare and cherishable instead of common and degraded. Most libraries have some of Lord Dunsany's works and through interlibrary loan you should be able to get just about anything written by this laudable fantasist. Do not pollute your personal library with this trash. Let us not reduce Lord Dunsany to the level of pulp. Let us not patronize publishers that drag remarkable writers down to their seedy level so they can make an easy buck. We need to have more respect.

Lord Dunsany's works are gradually coming back into print, a great relief to someone who has liked his works for a long time. The pre-Tolkien fantasy authors are too often neglected because of their different style, but any person who appreciates beautiful language will appreciate Dunsany's unique fantasies.

This includes such stories as "Charon," a brief story about the ferryman of the dead; the rather odd "Three Infernal Jokes"; "The Guest," about a young man who launches into a strange monologue; "Thirteen at Table," about a strange house and a fox-hunt; "Three Sailors' Gambit" is somewhat more prosaic, the tale of three sailors in a pub; "The Exiles' Club" is the story of a sumptuous but somehow strange and sinister house in London; "Where the Tides Ebb and Flow" is a dream -- and a darn disturbing one at that, where a young man dreams that "I had done a horrible thing, so that burial was to be denied me either in soil or sea, neither could there be any hell for me"; "The Field" is at first mysterious and then saddening, where someone visits a beautiful field where he senses something terrible; "A Tale of London," where a sultan asks his hashish-eater to tell him about the far-off city of London; "Narrow Escape" tells what occurs when an evil magician decides to obliterate London; "Bethmoora" is the reminiscences of an exotic city that no longer exists; "Hashish Man" is something of a sequel to "Bethmoora," in which a man tells the narrator about how he uses hashish to travel to the city of Bethmoora. "How An Enemy Came to Thlunrana" is how a mighty wizards' citadel was overcome by an unexpected means; "In Zaccarath" is the story of a mighty, beautiful, and seemingly everlasting city and its king; "Idle City" is a very odd one, about a polytheistic/monotheistic city, now very lonely-looking; "The Madness of Andelsprutz" is another story about a "dead" city, in which the narrator is told how a certain city became "soulless".

"Secret of the Sea" is about a very sad sailor; "Idle Days on the Yann" is exactly what it sounds like, a pleasantly plotless but beautifully written story about sailing on the mythical Yann River; "A Tale of the Equator" is about the foreseeing of a magnificent city; "Spring in Town" is about the arrival of a season; "In the Twilight" is the beautifully-written vision of a man whose boat had capsized; "Wind and Fog" is a slightly odd little story about the North Wind and some fog; "A Story of Land and Sea" is the sequel to a story in Book of Wonder, more about Captain Shard; "After the Fire" is what happens when a dark star collides with the world, and what other creatures see in man's temples; "Assignation," the last story in the collection, is about what a poet and Fame have to say to one another.

As for this edition: I must agree with the previous reviewer who commented on the lame cover and unfortunate title, as well as the fact that the binding could be better. That's why it rates four out of a potential five stars. I will also warn buyers that several of these stories appear in other anthologies, so don't be surprised if you bump into things you already have. Many are from the "Last Book of Wonder" or "Dreamer's Tales" and overall they tend to the less fantastical stories.

Dunsany's prose tends to be dreamy, lush, and unabashed in its Eastern tone. There's no starkness here. Despite the title of the collection, there is minimal drug use and it is definitely not recommended by Dunsany's works. His story vary widely in range, but this is an excellent collection and well worth finding.

While I'm not a die-hard fan of fantasy and science fiction, I really liked this collection of short stories, which transcend the usual definitions of the genre. Unlike some readers who believe that obscure literary gems like these tales should be hallowed in the dusty stacks of libraries, I salute the publisher who has made these amazing works available again - I certainly would have never stumbled upon this book otherwise! Edgy like Lovecraft (whom I adore), these stories reflect a sense of wonder and imagination that is often missing from the fiction of today - a great read, highly recommended!

Finally, a Tolkien-related book where I can't avoid admitting that I bought it for the pictures. Not counting the front and back cover, this book has 58 pictures by about 16 different artists. Styles vary from Cor Blok's medieval-looking art to Ted Nasmith's simultaneously realistic and fantastic stuff. Each image comes with an excerpt from the inspiring text (usually LOTR or The Hobbit) quoted on the opposite page. A mini-biography of each of the artist appears at the end of the book. Many of the images are ones that I had seen before, such as the Houghton Mifflin editions of LOTR or various galleries out on the 'Net. But this book is physically large, with the pages about 8.5" x 11", so the pictures are probably bigger than what you've seen before. Is it worth it? Beats me. This is about as close to 100% pure fluff as you can get, but people like Nasmith and Howe and Phenix make the fluff so inviting and immersive that I can't say that's a bad thing.

With over a dozen artists, this book provides a great diversity in the way Tolkien's works are visualized. From the intense detail of Alan Lee and Ted Nasmith to the graceful brush strokes of Cor Blok, this book is a must-have!

This book puts together a most of the important paintings on Tolkien's world by artist's like Alan Lee or John Howe. The quality of the reproductions is quite high and the cover is very beautyful. For all Tolkien and fine art lovers.