The Two Towers Paperback – Big Book, 30 August 2012

Not a review of the book (which is obviously a classic and excellent) but of the print - the type font used is very small. This might be an issue for some readers. This review refers to the paperback Harper Collins 2011 edition of the Two Towers with the black and red cover.

This is an interesting sequel with again many interesting scenes and characters not in the film, particularly concerning the Palantir. Unfortunately it is very slow going and I found it particular difficult to read the Battle of Helms Deep and beyond. If you want to read this, I would recommend reading it before watching the films if you can. This is a lovely copy to have with wonderful watercolour illustrations, so I would recommend purchasing this copy.

When I was a Halfling, buying The Lord of the Rings was straightforward. If your Dad was rich, you got the three, grey-jacketed hardbacks of the second edition; if he wasn't, you got the fat yellow paperback with the Pauline Baynes cover, and mourned Allen & Unwin's cruel, cruel appendectomy. Nowadays the choice can be bewildering. One volume or three, paperback or hardback or deluxe hardback in a slipcase, illustrated in black and white by the Queen of Denmark or in colour by Alan Lee or not illustrated at all; you can even get your Lord in blingy green leather that wouldn't look out of place on an oil sheikh's personal Airbus. For me, though, Harper Collins's three volume hardcover 50th Anniversary Edition stands head and shoulder above its rivals - including four which are significantly more expensive.The Two Towers (ISBN 9780007203550) is the book in the set most like its second edition predecessor. The only change in the text is its freedom from the accumulated errors that a crack squad of Tolkienologists have meticulously weeded out for us. As for illustrations, we get only Christopher Tolkien's time-hallowed red and black map of the West of Middle-earth: the good news is that it's in the improved version included in Unfinished Tales, the bad that it's been shrunk to a rather mean two page pull-out, and a pixelated one at that. Still, there's always the luxurious poster-sized version redone by John Howe in  The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth: Special Edition .The look of the text barely differs from 1954's, with runes and tengwar still embellishing the title page. L.E.G.O. SpA has done a good job of printing its PostScript Monotype Plantin on a smooth, magnolia paper, slightly lighter toned than that in my copy of The Fellowship of the Ring. The binding is well executed in traditional signatures that allow the book to lie flat when it's been opened; a black and yellow headband complements a sturdy black cover nicely gilded on its dignified, handsome spine.The thick, matt, textured dust jacket is something of a special feature, giving us a painting by JRRT himself. The Ring and some of its tengwar brood over Orodruin, framed by Minas Morgul and Orthanc; a Nazgul glides past overhead, and there are also icons of the crescent Moon, the Nine, a pentacle and Saruman's White Hand. The lettering uses a warmly gleaming copper foil, which to my magpie tastes gives the book masses of shelf appeal.If you simply want Tolkien, the whole Tolkien and nothing but Tolkien, this lovingly edited, well made Two Towers must surely be right at the top of your shopping list. I'd been surprised if there has ever been an incarnation of this book which has served Tolkien's invention more faithfully.***************************************************************************************************************************When I first read The Lord of the Rings back in 1969, one of the passages that most excited me came in the final paragraph of the Foreword. There it was that JRRT offered the tantalizing prospect of an entire, ultra-nerdy accessory volume. A complete index, more detailed linguistic information, and, no doubt, many other tasty bits and pieces too... I yearned for that Volume IV the way a modern teenager craves the latest iPhone. Well, Volume IV never materialized, but now, in the 50th Anniversary Edition of The Return of the King (ISBN 9780007203567 -  The Return of the King (Lord of the Rings 3) ) - which amazon in its wisdom will only let me review jointly with The Two Towers - we do at least have an index which Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond have expanded from the second edition's twenty-four pages to a geek-friendlier thirty-nine. Also, the Bolgers and the Boffins have been honoured with family trees, and - most importantly of all - Tolkien's most dedicated scholars have eliminated every last defect from the text like Rangers hunting down so many fugitive orcs.There are no illustrations in this edition, but it does have two of Christopher Tolkien's traditional red and black maps. A two-page fold-out of Gondor and its neighbours begins the book, contour lines and all, and another of the West of Middle-earth (Unfinished Tales version) concludes it. The second is perhaps a touch small, and both are regrettably pixelated, but of course, there's slways the gorgeous, poster-sized John Howe alternative in  The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth: Special Edition .The attractive design of the text wisely sticks closely to the first edition's. L.E.G.O. SpA have printed it very well indeed in PostScript Monotype Plantin on a smooth, slightly off-white paper much superior to the norm. The binding uses signatures graced with a coloured headband, and the book lies nicely flat when opened; a black cover sets off classically elegant gilt lettering.The thick, textured dust jacket rejoices in a design by JRRT himself. There's the throne of Minas Tirith, the winged crown of Gondor and an angular tengwar monogram and proclamation of Elendil's; also Elessar's Elfstone, Gondor's seven stars and its emblematic White Tree - and, behind the Ephel Duath, the menacing shadow of Sauron. (If you remember the old India paper one volume deluxe edition of The Lord, it's the painting from which that book's foil cover motif was derived.) The (English) lettering is done in an unusual copper which has a lovely warm gleam to it.There are several more expensive editions of The Return, but none that I'd rather pop into my basket. It's Tolkien for Tolkien purists. It'll be a shame if it yields its place in the catalogue to the forthcoming movie tie-in version. The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth: Special EditionThe Return of the King (Lord of the Rings 3)The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth: Special Edition

First published in 1954 TheTwo Towers is the second part of the epic saga, and Tolkien's masterpiece, The Lord Of The Rings. It has been a firm favourite of mine since I first read it over 25 years ago, and every time I return to the trilogy I find something new in this multilayered and deep piece of literature. I have worked my through it again recently, and with much temerity have decided to post a review of this stand out classic of classics.In this second part of the trilogy, the tale becomes quite complex and breaks off into several strands. We are treated to Sam and Frodo's journey towards Mordor, The advenutures of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli as they search for Merry and Pippin, and the adventures of the two missing Hobbits themselves. Along the way we meet the riders of Rohan, the men of Minas Tirith, Ents, Saruman and many other characters. There are tales of courage, bravery, treachery, wizadry, epic battles and lonely quests. This is a book that has it all.I find when reading this that it not just the plot that I love, but the completeness of Tolkien's world. He has developed a whole history, mythology, geography and etymology for it, all incredibly detailed. The book does not describe these in detail, but has frequent sideways references to them. This is what sets it apart from other fantasies, the feeling of a complete reality in which the adventures are taking place, a rich and textured world. This adds a depth to the books which few others can match.In all this is a great read in it's own right, and sets everything up nicely for the third installment. It has a lot of high advenure, and Tolkien's rich multilayered tale telling. It's a classic of it's time, and has to get 5 stars.This unabridged reading from Rob Inglis is pretty good. For the most part it is excellent, though he can be a little flat in his delivery at times, and some of his voices are ill suited to the characters at times. All in all though it's a good reading. At 14 discs and clocking in at 16 hours 43 minutes of listening, this is perfect for the car on long journeys! I have to say that I listened to it back and forth to work over about a week, and my interest was maintained throughout, a testament to the skill of both author and reader. 5 stars all round.

The Two Towers is the middle of Tolkien's epic saga, The Lord of the Rings. Widely considered as a classic, this trilogy begins in the rolling fields of the shire and takes us through a journey of enormous proportions till at last we reach our destination in Mordor. The character development as we go through this saga is second to none as we watch our heroes Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Boromir all do great deeds,to enable the fellowship to complete it's quest.In this version of the book, it has a wonderful cover design which draws on the story itself and cleverly depicts the battle of Helm's Deep, a key battle in the story. As this is part of a set, it also has a sleeve design which when placed together with the other books in this set forms one of the most prominent images from the three books, the white tree of Gondor. A well crafted cover, with maps featuring inside the sleeves, I would recommend this version of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers to any one who wishes to own their own version of this masterpiece.