If you love The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit or The Silmarillion (or knows someone who does) then this is the perfect companion to unearthing the history, influences and genius behind each title, and the dark powers they contain.

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit hold some of the greatest tales of good versus evil ever told. His remarkable fictional world, Middle-earth, has staged war and rebellion, celebration and loss, causing its men, women and fantastical creatures to strive for the triumph of good, and for others - whether by inheritance or by choice - to propel forward the power of the forces of darkness and evil.
From Sauron's transformation into the Dark Lord, to a Barrow-wight's hypnotic powers over its "prey", each have their place in Middle-earth's vast history, created against a backdrop of Tolkien's fascination with and influence from other mythological and ancient sources.

In his latest book of this series, best-selling author and Tolkien expert David Day examines the complexities surrounding Tolkien's portrayal of good and evil, analysing the influences, history and meaning behind Middle-earth's darker forces, from the creation of the world of Arda until the end of the War of the Ring.

David Day was born and brought up in Canada. He has published more than twenty books in the fields of poetry, ecology, natural history, fantasy and mythology and a number of award-winning children's books. His writing has also appeared in many magazines and anthologies. His enduring fascination with complex mythologies led him to J.R.R. Tolkien.