📖 About Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings is a series universe written by J.R.R. Tolkien. The complete collection runs to 5 books across 1 series, published between 1937 and 1974.

The main series is Publication Order of The Lord of the Rings Books with 5 books. It opens with The Hobbit (1937) and currently runs to Bilbo's Last Song (1974).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with Lord of the Rings

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: The Hobbit (1937), book 1 of Publication Order of The Lord of the Rings 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.

📚 Lord of the Rings Books in Order

Publication Order of The Lord of the Rings Books
5 books
1
The Hobbit book cover1The Hobbit1937Buy on Amazon
The Fellowship of the Ring book cover2The Fellowship of the Ring1954Buy on Amazon
The Two Towers book cover3The Two Towers1954Buy on Amazon
The Return of the King book cover4The Return of the King1955Buy on Amazon
Bilbo's Last Song book cover5Bilbo's Last Song1974Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many Lord of the Rings books are there?
There are 5 books in the Lord of the Rings collection, organised into 1 series and published between 1937 and 1974.
What is the first Lord of the Rings book?
The first book is The Hobbit, published in 1937.
What order should I read the Lord of the Rings 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 Lord of the Rings books?
The Lord of the Rings books were written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Is the Lord of the Rings series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of The Lord of the Rings Books, has 5 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the Lord of the Rings series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1937, and the most recent in 1974.