Hi folks --

I'm forwarding these questions from John Rateliff, the former TSR Librarian who has since moved on to other pursuits.  Since my own collection has been sold, I can't answer these myself!  Any help is appreciated.

Foul

John Rateliff wrote:I'm writing now because I need to find someone willing to confirm some quotes from the First Edition CHAINMAIL Fantasy Supplement. I had a photocopy of the second edition but it has gone missing, forcing me to reply upon a late printing of the 3rd & final edition.

The points I need illumination on are:

(1) is the second sentence of the Fantasy Supplement (p.28 of the 3rd ed), with its reference to Tolkien & Howard, essentially the same?

(2) are the Wraiths (p.33-34 ibid) referred to as Nazgul, as the Spectre entry in 1st ed D&D Vol. II: Monsters & Treasure p.9 would indicate?

(3) is the illustration of the knight chasing the dragon (p.37 of the 3rd ed) -- incidentally, copied from one of Pauline Baynes's illustrations for Tolkien's FARMER GILES OF HAM-- essentially the same in earlier printings?

I'm putting the finishing touches on an essay on the History of Tolkien roleplaying games, and these are part of the evidence for my argument that Tolkien and Howard were the key influences on D&D in the earliest days. Any help much appreciated.

Yrs,
John D. Rateliff

Thank you!  I'll forward this to him.

Foul

zhowar wrote:Rateliff's two-volume History of the Hobbit is excellent. The analysis of the original manuscript is interspersed with fascinating short essays on various topics found in each chapter. He also wrote the introductory essays for WOTC's free downloads of OB3, L2, EX1 & 2 and I10. I'm sure this essay will be just as interesting.

Two-volume History of the Hobbit?

Where does one find these volumes?

serleran wrote:Here is one place. Can probably find it cheaper if you search... I just spent 2 seconds looking and it came up.

Ouch.  Thought it might be a web essay.

Have to stalk it over time.

serelan's link is the box set with both volumes & a copy of the 70th anniversary Hobbit reprint (which has the moon & sun changed to red on the covers, as Tolkien originally intended).

But you can buy each volume individually for $23 at Amazon. When it came out last summer they had a zillion copies at Barnes & Noble, but they were about $30 each. There's probably cheaper copies to be found on Ebay or Half.com. The book had the misfortune of coming out the same year as Children of Hurin, and received much less attention.

The HotH books are similar to Christopher Tolkien's 12 volume History of Middle Earth, but are generally more readable due to the interspersed essays.

The 2nd volume "Return to Bag-End", is especially fascinating as it has Tolkien's unpublished 1960 rewrite of the Hobbit in the style of Lord of the Rings. It's unfinished (just the first few chapters) and destroys much of the distinctive charm, which is probably why it was abandoned. We do find out the name of Gandalf's horse.

However, before getting the History of the Hobbit I'd recommend The Annotated Hobbit by Douglas Anderson, which has the complete text of all published versions; the original 1937 text is printed in the margins, along with the other annotations. This was first published in the 80s, but a 2nd revised edition came out a few years ago and is still in print (and it was overprinted, as I found a cheap copy at an overstock store).