📖 About The History of Middle-Earth

The History of Middle-Earth is a series universe written by J.R.R. Tolkien. The complete collection runs to 14 books across 1 series, published between 1983 and 2018.

The main series is Publication Order of The History of Middle-Earth Books with 14 books. It opens with The Book Of Lost Tales, Part One (1983) and currently runs to The Great Tales Of Middle-earth (2018).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with The History of Middle-Earth

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: The Book Of Lost Tales, Part One (1983), book 1 of Publication Order of The History of Middle-Earth Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

Each of the 1 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 The History of Middle-Earth Books in Order

Publication Order of The History of Middle-Earth Books
14 books
1
The Book Of Lost Tales, Part One book cover1The Book Of Lost Tales, Part One1983Buy on Amazon
The Book Of Lost Tales, Part Two book cover2The Book Of Lost Tales, Part Two1983Buy on Amazon
The Lays Of Beleriand book cover3The Lays Of Beleriand1985Buy on Amazon
The Shaping Of Middle-earth book cover4The Shaping Of Middle-earth1986Buy on Amazon
The Lost Road And Other Writings book cover5The Lost Road And Other Writings1987Buy on Amazon
The Return Of The Shadow book cover6The Return Of The Shadow1988Buy on Amazon
The Treason of Isengard book cover7The Treason of Isengard1989Buy on Amazon
The War Of The Ring book cover8The War Of The Ring1990Buy on Amazon
Sauron Defeated book cover9Sauron Defeated1992Buy on Amazon
Morgoth's Ring: The Legends of Aman book cover10Morgoth's Ring: The Legends of Aman1993Buy on Amazon
The War Of The Jewels book cover11The War Of The Jewels1994Buy on Amazon
The Peoples of Middle-earth book cover12The Peoples of Middle-earth1996Buy on Amazon
The History Of Middle Earth Index book cover13The History Of Middle Earth Index2002Buy on Amazon
The Great Tales Of Middle-earth book cover14The Great Tales Of Middle-earth2018Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many The History of Middle-Earth books are there?
There are 14 books in the The History of Middle-Earth collection, organised into 1 series and published between 1983 and 2018.
What is the first The History of Middle-Earth book?
The first book is The Book Of Lost Tales, Part One, published in 1983.
What order should I read the The History of Middle-Earth books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the The History of Middle-Earth books?
The The History of Middle-Earth books were written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Is the The History of Middle-Earth series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of The History of Middle-Earth Books, has 14 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the The History of Middle-Earth series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1983, and the most recent in 2018.