An introduction

The lives and times of Professor Tolkien

How The lord of the rings came to be written

Tolkien today

Of Middle-Earth and the story of The hobbit

The story of The fellowship of the ring

The story of The two towers

The story of The return of the king

The trilogy - satire or allegory?

Tolkien's theory of the fairy story

Fantasy in the classical epic

Fantasy in the chanson de geste

Fantasy in the medieval romance

The men who invented fantasy

Tolkien's basic sources

On the naming of names

Some people, places, and things

Postscript: After Tolkien

Appendix A: A checklist of critical literature on The lord of the rings

Appendix B: A selected bibliography.