The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-Earth by Brian Sibley

The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-Earth Reviews

• 
  Jason Koivu

  A middle class, middle aged dad in khaki shorts and fanny pack lays a map out on the hood of the family station wagon. "Well kids, I thought we'd start in the Shire then head off to Rivendell. Maybe catch the stoned trolls if we have time." His finger eagerly traces the route, passing over the map's many lines showing roads and rivers. "After that we'll drive along the scenic Misty Mountains. I hear that's nice. We're not going to be able to make Mirkwood or Isengard, not if were going to have time to zip down to Mordor and snap off a few shots before heading home. What do you think, sounds like a nice little trip, doesn't it honey?" Wind whips the map up into his face, which draws snorts from the bored children and causes the wife to sigh and roll her eyes.
  
  The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth is a lovely fold out map of Middle Earth with a booklet containing summary details of locations. The whole package is put together like one of those map guides you might get from Lonely Planet or Fodor's right before you head off on your week-long vacation to see the major sites.
  
  The map itself is decent:
  
  
  
  However, the descriptions in the booklet are pretty lightweight, eschewing historical depth. All in all, this is probably only of interest to rabid LotR collectors, or it might make for a good companion/supplement to Tolkien's works for first-time readers in the age range of about 12 to 15, generally speaking. Otherwise, save your money.
• 
  Nicky

  This is a gorgeous bit of work: a slipcase with a hardcover book of information on the making of the maps and what they depict, and a book-cover type folder which contains the four maps, folded up but completely separate (so if you wanted to frame and mount them, that’d be possible). It’s a beautiful collection, and the book itself is gorgeous too. The type-set is the same as most copies of The Hobbit I’ve seen, which I liked, and the layout too. Various illustrations — sketches and full colour — are included, with Brian Sibley describing the events and locations on each of the four maps.
  
  It’s not hugely informative if you’re familiar with the geography and history of Middle-earth, but looking at things laid out like this can be different, and it’s a gorgeous collection, too.
• 
  Liz

  Review to come.
• 
  Freya

  Beautiful Maps! Someday I think I will have to frame them!
• 
  Marko Vasić

  Excellent edition with four foldable maps in hardback envelope along with a booklet which describes regions and places marked on the maps.
• 
  Gregory

  I'd say 3 of the 4 maps are beautiful enough to be frame-worthy while one map (Numenor) only suffers because there isn't a lot of detail from Tolkien's original written descriptions to work with. The text volume of material gathered by Brian Sibley is illuminating and brings to life the locals on the maps. This material is for Tolkien geeks like me and those loving artistic fictional maps.
• 
  Emily

  These maps are beautiful - I think the Hobbit one, with Smaug curled around it, is my favorite.
  
  Not sure exactly how to rank this vis-a-vis "books," though. (I actually haven't read the little supplement book that comes with the maps - perhaps I shall!)
• 
  Evan Hays

  So part of my review for this includes the 4 amazing maps that come along with it. John Howe is one of the best Tolkien illustrators, and Brian Sibley has been one of the best at summarizing Tolkien and delivering his work in various platforms for decades now. His work creating the BBC drama version of LOTR has always been a favorite of mine.
  
  While there are some helpful insights gained from reading the History of Middle Earth series, most of the info in the book portion of this will be nothing new to the serious Tolkien reader. That said, it's well organized, concise, and a unique view on the Tolkien legendarium through the lens of maps.
  
  I have always loved maps, and my love of maps is sort of a chicken and egg scenario with Tolkien's work because some of the first maps I remember loving were from The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings.
  
  Two quick anecdotes along those lines. In high school, during a tough time for me when my parents were splitting up, I took the 8 1/2 by 11 map of Middle Earth that came with the cassette edition of the BBC LOTR radio drama, and penciled in grid lines on it with a ruler. I used these to make a blown up map on a poster myself based on a proportional redraw. It was tons of fun. And if you know me, not mathematically or artistically inclined, you will see how significant this is for me. I spent hours and hours on it.
  
  When I got my first real full time job, as a caller doing government surveys in the summer after my senior year of high school, I had a lot of time waiting for people to pick up the phone (and sometimes berate me for bothering them). We were required to let the ring go 7 times if there was no answering machine. I got to the point where I didn't have to really think about counting anymore. I could register 7 rings in the background of my mind, and what I would do actively while waiting was draw freehand maps of Middle Earth on little scraps of paper at my desk.
  
  Tolkien has been important to me through my whole life, but probably more than any, during the hardest times in my life. And Tolkien's maps have been a huge part of that. As he wisely said, "I wisely started with a map..." If any of this resonates with you, you should buy this book.
• 
  Lu_Lost_in_Bookland

  Veľmi efektný knižný box obsahujúci 2 zväzky: prvým sú knižné dosky s poskladanými 4 farebnými mapami v spracovaní ilustrátora Johna Howa (mapa Divočiny – Wilderland – z Hobita, mapa Stredozeme v čase udalostí Pána prsteňov, mapa Beleriandu a mapa ostrova Númenor), každá s rozmerom 72 x 72 cm a druhým je sprievodné slovo Briana Sibleya ku každej z nich. Aj keď malo ísť zbierku máp, zažiadalo sa im dodať k nim sprievodný text, ktorý bol dosť obšírny, keďže obsahoval zhrnutia diel Hobita, Pána prsteňov a Silmarillionu (pre tých, čo čítali knihy pred rokmi a už si ich veľmi nepamätajú, to možno bude celkom užitočné pripomenutie). Okrem obsahového zhrnutia diel nájdete v knihe aj abecedný zoznam miest nachádzajúcich sa na jednotlivých mapách, tentokrát so stručnejším popisom.
• 
  Rees Fleming

  interesting book.
  Has in-depth looks at the maps of Lord of the rings.
  
  And as it happens, I've actually considered taking a Tolkien book home later on today.
  Depends on the weather.
  
  This book itself offers great detail on middle earth but, unless you a fan of Lord of the Rings you would need to do some study beforehand.
  
  Somewhere in the South yorks library system, there is a book detailing the underlying meanings behind the characters or situations in lord of the rings.
  
  this book would be perfect to go alongside it.
  This book shows the maps of Tolkien's creation and how it works within the story, his creation itself became an obsession.
  
  To be honest, I did not go, deep into Lord of the rings, Harry Potter is more my fictional interest.
• 
  Cheri

  I wasn't terribly impressed with this one. The maps are beautiful, but the little book that comes with them isn't terribly necessary. For each map, there are a couple of pages of how it came about, and then a location-by-location rundown of the plot that concerns the map. I think this is pretty skippable to all except for perhaps a Tolkien scholar who may want the map history or the maps themselves.
• 
  Wise Fool

  Beautiful map for a beautifully created world!
• 
  Missie

  While the art work is beautiful the maps are so small you can't really explore them.
• 
  Cheri Edwards

  It's not so much a book as it 's a bunch of maps.....still pretty nice
• 
  Geoff

  This is basically a collectors piece. It comes in a very thick cardboard sleeve and houses a hardcover slipcase for the 4 fold out maps by Howe. An 80 page book accompanies the maps written by Brain Sibley. Each section gives an overview of what occurred on each map, and gives a description of each map notation. This is a revised edition (or collector's edition as they call it, and also includes a map and description on Numenor. Not much new to learn from the book, but it is very well made, and the book is string bound. I'm quite happy to have this collector's piece accompany my Tolkien collection
• 
  Nicky

  If you are a Tolkien collector, an admirer of John Howe's superb Middle Earth paintings or a lover of beautiful books, then you will love this. But be warned, if you want highly detailed maps of Middle Earth overlaid with route plans and information, then you will be disappointed. If you want detail, instead buy Karen Wynn Fonstad's Atlas of Middle Earth or Barbara Strachey's Journeys of Frodo.
  This package is beautifuly presented containing howes 4 Middle Earth maps in a hardback folder (the maps are Middle Earth, Beleriand, Numenor and the Hobbit map) with an informative hardback book by Brian Sibley explaining the role of maps in Tolkien's creations and containing a gazetter of place names for each map.
  The whole lot is bundled into an attractive slipcase.
  Howes maps are not over detailed, and are bordered with representations of scenes from the books painted by Howe. However, the maps contain as much detail as the maps drawn by JRR and Christopher Tolkien.
  Howes purpose was not to create detailed cartography surpassing the original maps in detail and annotation, but to create artistic interpretations of the maps.
  In other words, view the maps as art rather than detailed guides to Middle Earth and then you will not be disappointed.
• 
  Al

  I found this while browsing Half Priced Books. These maps are amazing. Tolkien's maps, drawings and descriptions bring his world to life. Being a geography nerd, I love maps political and natural. For anyone who may have a hard time with placing what and where these maps will make Middle Earth three dimensional.
• 
  Talbot Hook

  Not worth the time. If you want a glossary of terms, get a book by David Day. I was hoping for the words of John Howe, and explanations and inspirations of his work, but only got about a singular page of that. Rather disappointing.
• 
  Dawson

  Lovely images, quite a fun read. Nothing super deep here, but fun just for the visually enticing smorgasbord.
• 
  Sofia

  Fun maps (Middle-Earth 1st Age, Middle-earth 3rd Age, the Hobbit and Numenor) by John Howe that I had framed and hanged on my office's walls.
• 
  Stas

  I do like me some maps, but I wouldn't throw my money at it. I'm not THAT much of a fan.
  It would make for decent gift.
• 
  Hannah Victoria Katherine

  beautiful art and lots of interesting little facts.
• 
  Debra Hennessey

  Wow. I'm always wandering Middle Earth in my head. Now I have some maps! A fun book.
  
• 
  Wendy

  Not a book, but pull out maps.
  
  I wish they were a bit more detailed, but they're pretty sweet.
• 
  Linda Hoover

  Absolutely beautiful renderings of four of Tolkien's maps from his Middle Earth books!! Beautifully illustrated, with well written details about the maps.
• 
  Kayleigh

  So so beautiful. :D
  If I had more wall space I would hang all those maps there. :D
• 
  Norbert

  beautiful maps - not too much detailed, alas - and a nice booklet giving informations about places, rivers and the like. Nice to have