A review by rhodesee
The Art of the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien by J.R.R. Tolkien

5.0

This book feels more like a peek behind-the-scenes than an "art book" and I really love that about it. I can see how it may be disappointing for some people if they were expecting something a little different. For me though, it is so cool to see the process and evolution of maps and some key visual bits of Tolkien's world, like the Doors of Durin and the White Tree of Gondor, among others. It is also cool to see the small bits and scraps of paper, marginalia and other things that show his thought process and how it changed over time. You also get a peek into the nuts and bolts of publishing and printing as well with information about how the images went from Tolkien's first sketch to finished and printed in the books. Overall, very cool and informative to read cover to cover with "flip through" value as well.