The world of Middle-earth is much more than the stories of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Frodo, Gandalf, Samwise, Bilbo, and Gollum may be the most familiar faces to Middle-earth fans, but JRR Tolkien masterfully built a fantasy world with incredible detail and lore. All of this can be explored in the A History of Middle-earth series. A History of Middle-earth, compiled from Tolkien’s manuscripts and notes by his son Christopher Tolkien, was originally published in the 1980s and 1990s. Like all Tolkien books, it has been reissued several times, but the 2024 edition is the most amazing yet.
Two of the four hardcover box sets have already been released, with the other two coming in the next two months. They’re pricey, but as part of Amazon’s early Prime Day sale, you can snag the first set for more than 50% off, costing just $59. The second set is also heavily discounted and eligible for Amazon’s B2G1 Free Sale . But if you want all the sets, your best bet is to buy the first set from Amazon and the other three from Target . All four box sets are eligible for Target’s B2G1 Free Books Sale (a free rewards program for Circle members). The third and fourth box sets are just two of several upcoming titles that you can pre-order as part of the promotion.
A History of Middle-Earth – 2024 Hardcover Box Set
Amazon
Free B2G1 from Target
If the price drops before your pre-order ships, Target will automatically refund the difference.
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The History of Middle-earth Box Set 1 is on sale for $59 (was $125). It’s the lowest price for a recently released box set. You’ll get four hardcover volumes (The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, Book of Lost Tales Part 1, and Book of Lost Tales Part 2) along with a nice case to store and display the books. That’s over 1,500 pages of Tolkien goodness.
The History of Middle-earth Box Set 2 includes The Lays of Beleriand, The Shaping of Middle-earth, and The Lost Road. At 1,264 pages, it’s slightly smaller than the first box set, but should keep you busy for quite some time.
To complete the collection, you can check out the pre-orders for Box Set 3 and Box Set 4, which are scheduled to be released in August and September respectively, but are currently on a 10% price cut. It’s also worth noting that if you pre-order either of the last two box sets, you’ll be eligible for Amazon’s Pre-Order Price Guarantee, meaning you won’t have to pay anything until your order ships, and it wouldn’t be surprising if prices were to drop to the first two sets before release.
The above box set is stylish and makes a great addition to any bookshelf, but you don’t have to wait months to check out every book in your collection. As mentioned, these Tolkien stories have been around for a long time, so you can get them all in the hardcover box set The Complete History of Middle-earth for $142 (down from $250). The set has a minimalist design that befits a history book, but it’s comprised of all 12 books in three volumes. Be warned, these are heavy books—they come in at a whopping 5,440 pages across the three volumes, after all.
If you’re a Lord of the Rings fan but aren’t sure if you’d enjoy the Middle-earth history series, there are cheaper options. The Silmarillion, the first and best-known book in the series, is available in a beautifully illustrated edition by the author, on sale for $32 (was $75). Or you can get the first five books in the series in a paperback box set for $28 (with B2G1 free).
Meanwhile, The Lord of the Rings Illustrated Edition is on sale for just $26 ahead of Prime Day. It’s just one of many notable Tolkien deals currently on Amazon. The Hobbit Illustrated Edition is on sale for $40 and B2G1 free, while the deluxe The Lord of the Rings: Special Edition (a deluxe version of the Illustrated Edition) is just $94 (previously $250). If you’re looking for more Tolkien books, check out Target’s free B2G1 Middle-Earth books.
