The world of Middle-earth is far more expansive than the tales of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. While Frodo, Gandalf, Samwise, Bilbo, and Gollum might be some of the most familiar faces to Middle-earth fans, J.R.R. Tolkien masterfully built his fantasy world with a staggering level of detail and lore--all of which can explored in The History of Middle-earth series. Compiled and edited from Tolkien's manuscripts and notes by his son Christopher Tolkien, The History of Middle-earth was originally published in the 1980s and '90s. The best-known entry in the series is The Silmarillion, which is one of the source materials for Prime Video's The Rings of Power. Like all Tolkien books, it has received multiple reissues, including gorgeous new 2024 editions and a staggeringly massive three-book set containing all 12 volumes.
If you want to read The Complete History of Middle-earth, the best option right now is the 2020 hardcover set. Originally $250, the weighty collection is on sale for $111.62 as part of Amazon's early Prime Big Deal Days sale. This understated set, shown below, will likely become the biggest box set in your home library. The three premium hardcovers total 5,440 pages, an average of 1,813 pages per book. For comparison, The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Edition, which is on sale for 50% off, is "only" 1,216 pages.
If the prospect of reading an 1,800-page book sounds a bit too unwieldy, but you still want hardcovers, the 2024 editions are also on sale. Split across four slipcased box sets, the design of the new editions takes the exact opposite approach, trading the "serious" look for beautifully illustrated cover art that really stands out compared to many of the minimalist editions of Tolkien's work. For this set, publisher William Morrow split the series into 15 volumes.
