This book is full of amazing art, a wonderful thing to look at... not necessarily the most inspiring read though. I've been a fan of John Howe since I can remember and this definitely is a treat - the art is stunning, I just wish I could get to know the author a bit better.

Starting from the front page - the title is a bit misleading, the author takes us on a longer trail, sometimes far beyond the Middle-earth. Most of the book covers concept art for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies, but we get glimpses of times and lands that were not depicted there. Which I don't mind, even if I saw it elsewhere, since the art is great.

The sketches are everything that one could expect from John Howe and more. Incredibly detailed, covered in rich textures, both extremely realistic and fantastically imaginative. Sometimes it's surprising how precisely these concepts were translated onto the film, other times they are so audacious that it's completely understandable that they didn't make the cut at all. However, there is always an intention and a story, often historically informed, that make all of them very coherent and belonging to the same world.

What I'm missing here is more insight into the process or more stories that only John Howe could tell. There is a taste of this in the Postscript chapter and I wish there was more throughout the book. But I guess he is an illustrator, not a writer, for a reason. There are pieces of text that provide some context and occasionally throw in very nerdy facts to show that the author understood the assignment and checked all the reference materials. Unfortunately, they come across as impersonal and very encyclopedic.

A visual gem, an eye candy to study for hours. I'll most likely not read it again, but surely I'll revisit some pages often to get inspired and try to learn drawing from one of the best.

Take a lovely afternoon stroll with acclaimed Tolkien artist John Howe. Travel with Howe, one of the concept artists for both LOTR and Hobbit trilogies, as he takes you on a journey across Middle-earth, from Bag End to Mordor, in this richly illustrated sketchbook fully of previously unseen artwork, anecdotes and meditations on Middle-earth.

A Middle-Earth Traveller presents a walking tour of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, visiting not only places central to his stories, but also those just over the hill or beyond the horizon. What I enjoyed most of all was that events from Tolkien’s books are explored – and from all the ages of Middle Earth. I also enjoyed has Howe connected the threads of Tolkien's storytelling to other works of mythology.

If you enjoy this, make sure you check out Looking for the Hobbit on Amazon.

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Wonderful collection of sketches that came to be the Middle Earth we know and love from Jackson's movies with commentary from their Creator ( )

Wonderful collection of sketches that came to be the Middle Earth we know and love from Jackson's movies with commentary from their Creator ( )

Astoundingly beautiful art with great info about Middle Earth. ( )