The War of the Ring

About “The War of the Ring”

The War of the Ring is the third volume of The History of The Lord of the Rings and the eighth in The History of Middle-earth. It follows the events of The Lord of the Rings, beginning with the Battle of the Hornburg and the drowning of Isengard by the Ents. It then covers Frodo, Sam, and Gollum’s journey to the Pass of Cirith Ungol, the war in Gondor, and the meeting between Gandalf and the Dark Lord’s ambassador at the Black Gate. J.R.R. Tolkien noted that the story often took unexpected turns, such as the palantir breaking on the stairs of Orthanc and the sudden appearance of Faramir. The book includes illustrations of early designs for places like Orthanc, Minas Tirith, and Shelob’s Lair.