In The Lord of the Rings: A Reader"s Companion, Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull unravel the story of how an epic battle has been fought to maintain the textual integrity of this huge story. Through hundreds of notes, which directly refer to the fiftieth anniversary edition of the novel, they provide a detailed account of how this incredible book has changed from one generation to the next. - Notes on significant changes made by the author and by ChristopherTolkien after his father"s death - Brief references to illustrations, maps, and earlier versions of the text - References to people, places, and events that appear in other books by Tolkien - Explanations of archaic and unusual words - Translations and primers on how to use Tolkien"s invented languages - Appearing for the first time, Tolkien"s own Guide to the Names in TheLord of the Rings The Lord of the Rings: A Reader"s Companion will provide uniqueinsight into the creative process of a true genius and will offer a detailedand informative account of how the book of the century has evolved.