Middle-earth is much broader than the stories of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. While Frodo, Gandalf, Samwise, Bilbo, and Gollum may be the most familiar faces to fans of Middle-earth, JRR Tolkien masterfully constructed his fantasy world with stunning detail and lore—all of it You can explore the Middle-earth series in History. A History of Middle-earth was compiled and edited by Tolkien’s son, Christopher Tolkien, based on Tolkien’s manuscripts and notes, and was originally published in the 1980s and 1990s. Like all Tolkien books, it has been reprinted many times, but the 2024 edition is undoubtedly the most stunning yet.
Two of the four hardcover box sets have already been released, with the final two set to arrive over the next two months. These sets are pricey, but as part of Amazon’s early Prime Day sale, you can get your first set at over 50% off, bringing the price down to just $59. The second group is also heavily discounted and eligible for Amazon’s B2G1 free sale. However, 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 sets are eligible for Target’s B2G1 free book sale for Circle members (free rewards program). The third and fourth box sets are just two of the many upcoming books you can pre-order as a promotion.
A History of Middle-earth – 2024 Hardcover Boxed Set
Amazon
Target Free B2G1
If the price of your pre-order item drops before it ships, Target will automatically refund the difference.
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More Lord of the Rings Prime Day Deals
The History of Middle-earth Bundle 1 is on sale for just $59 (originally $125). This is the lowest price for a recently released set. In addition to a gorgeous box to store and display the books, you’ll also get four hardcover books – The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, The Book of Lost Tales Part One, and The Lost Tales The second part of the book. All in all, that’s over 1,500 pages of Tolkien’s brilliance.
The History of Middle-earth Set 2 includes The Land of Beleriand, The Making of Middle-earth, and The Lost Road. It’s a little smaller than the first box’s 1,264 pages, but it’ll still keep you busy for a while.
To complete the series, you can check out Box Set 3 and Box Set 4 for pre-order. It’s also worth noting that if you pre-order either of the last two box sets, you’ll get Amazon’s pre-order price guarantee. You don’t have to pay until your order ships, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the price dropped to something close to the first two sets before launch.
While the sets above look stylish and are great companions to any bookcase, you don’t have to wait months to check out all the books in the series. As mentioned, these Tolkien stories have been around for a long time, so you can read them all by purchasing The Complete History of Middle-earth hardcover box set for $142 (originally $250). The design of this set is more understated and feels a bit fitting for a history book, although all 12 books are divided into three volumes. Note that these books are quite heavy; after all, there are a whopping 5,440 pages in three volumes.
If you’re a fan of The Lord of the Rings but not sure if you’d like the History of Middle-earth series, there are more affordable options. The Silmarillion, the first book in the series and by far the most famous in the series, is available in a beautiful edition illustrated by the author for $32 (originally $75). Alternatively, you can buy the first five books in the series in a paperback box for just $28 (free with B2G1).
Meanwhile, the illustrated edition of The Lord of the Rings is discounted to just $26 ahead of Prime Day. This is just one of many notable Tolkien deals on Amazon right now. The Hobbit Illustrated Edition is available for as low as $40 and qualifies for a free B2G1, while the classic The Lord of the Rings: Special Edition — a fancier version of The Illustrated Edition — is just $94 (originally $250 ). For more Tolkien books, check out B2G1’s roundup of free Middle-earth books at Target.
