A Book in Order

Series · 40 books

Middle Earth Books in Order

The complete Middle Earth reading order — 40 books from 1967–2002.

  1. 01 Poems and songs of Middle Earth 1967 Amazon — buy Poems and songs of Middle Earth Bookshop — buy Poems and songs of Middle Earth ThriftBooks — buy Poems and songs of Middle Earth eBooks.com — buy Poems and songs of Middle Earth
  2. 02 A guide to Middle-earth 1971 Amazon — buy A guide to Middle-earth Bookshop — buy A guide to Middle-earth ThriftBooks — buy A guide to Middle-earth eBooks.com — buy A guide to Middle-earth
  3. 03 Master of Middle-earth 1972 Amazon — buy Master of Middle-earth Bookshop — buy Master of Middle-earth ThriftBooks — buy Master of Middle-earth eBooks.com — buy Master of Middle-earth
  4. 04 The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-earth 1974 Amazon — buy The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-earth Bookshop — buy The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-earth ThriftBooks — buy The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-earth eBooks.com — buy The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-earth
  5. 05 J.R.R. Tolkien 1976 Amazon — buy J.R.R. Tolkien Bookshop — buy J.R.R. Tolkien ThriftBooks — buy J.R.R. Tolkien eBooks.com — buy J.R.R. Tolkien
  6. 06 The Mythology of Middle-earth 1977 Amazon — buy The Mythology of Middle-earth Bookshop — buy The Mythology of Middle-earth ThriftBooks — buy The Mythology of Middle-earth eBooks.com — buy The Mythology of Middle-earth
  7. 07 Middle earth 1977 Amazon — buy Middle earth Bookshop — buy Middle earth ThriftBooks — buy Middle earth eBooks.com — buy Middle earth
  8. 08 The Silmarillion 1977 Amazon — buy The Silmarillion Bookshop — buy The Silmarillion ThriftBooks — buy The Silmarillion eBooks.com — buy The Silmarillion
  9. 09 The complete guide to Middle-earth 1978 Amazon — buy The complete guide to Middle-earth Bookshop — buy The complete guide to Middle-earth ThriftBooks — buy The complete guide to Middle-earth eBooks.com — buy The complete guide to Middle-earth
  10. 10 The individuated hobbit 1979 Amazon — buy The individuated hobbit Bookshop — buy The individuated hobbit ThriftBooks — buy The individuated hobbit eBooks.com — buy The individuated hobbit
  11. 11 Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth 1980 Amazon — buy Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth Bookshop — buy Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth ThriftBooks — buy Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth eBooks.com — buy Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth
  12. 12 The Atlas of Middle-earth 1981 Amazon — buy The Atlas of Middle-earth Bookshop — buy The Atlas of Middle-earth ThriftBooks — buy The Atlas of Middle-earth eBooks.com — buy The Atlas of Middle-earth
  13. 13 The road to Middle-Earth 1982 Amazon — buy The road to Middle-Earth Bookshop — buy The road to Middle-Earth ThriftBooks — buy The road to Middle-Earth eBooks.com — buy The road to Middle-Earth
  14. 14 The Book of Lost Tales [1/2] 1983 Amazon — buy The Book of Lost Tales [1/2] Bookshop — buy The Book of Lost Tales [1/2] ThriftBooks — buy The Book of Lost Tales [1/2] eBooks.com — buy The Book of Lost Tales [1/2]
  15. 15 The Book of Lost Tales [2/2] 1984 Amazon — buy The Book of Lost Tales [2/2] Bookshop — buy The Book of Lost Tales [2/2] ThriftBooks — buy The Book of Lost Tales [2/2] eBooks.com — buy The Book of Lost Tales [2/2]
  16. 16 The Lays of Beleriand 1985 Amazon — buy The Lays of Beleriand Bookshop — buy The Lays of Beleriand ThriftBooks — buy The Lays of Beleriand eBooks.com — buy The Lays of Beleriand
  17. 17 The Shaping of Middle-Earth 1986 Amazon — buy The Shaping of Middle-Earth Bookshop — buy The Shaping of Middle-Earth ThriftBooks — buy The Shaping of Middle-Earth eBooks.com — buy The Shaping of Middle-Earth
  18. 18 The Lost Road and Other Writings 1987 Amazon — buy The Lost Road and Other Writings Bookshop — buy The Lost Road and Other Writings ThriftBooks — buy The Lost Road and Other Writings eBooks.com — buy The Lost Road and Other Writings
  19. 19 Middle Earth Role Playing (MERP) 1987 Amazon — buy Middle Earth Role Playing (MERP) Bookshop — buy Middle Earth Role Playing (MERP) ThriftBooks — buy Middle Earth Role Playing (MERP) eBooks.com — buy Middle Earth Role Playing (MERP)
  20. 20 The Pillars of the Earth 1989 Amazon — buy The Pillars of the Earth Bookshop — buy The Pillars of the Earth ThriftBooks — buy The Pillars of the Earth eBooks.com — buy The Pillars of the Earth
  21. 21 Sauron Defeated 1992 Amazon — buy Sauron Defeated Bookshop — buy Sauron Defeated ThriftBooks — buy Sauron Defeated eBooks.com — buy Sauron Defeated
  22. 22 The J.R.R. Tolkien handbook 1992 Amazon — buy The J.R.R. Tolkien handbook Bookshop — buy The J.R.R. Tolkien handbook ThriftBooks — buy The J.R.R. Tolkien handbook eBooks.com — buy The J.R.R. Tolkien handbook
  23. 23 Morgoth's Ring 1993 Amazon — buy Morgoth's Ring Bookshop — buy Morgoth's Ring ThriftBooks — buy Morgoth's Ring eBooks.com — buy Morgoth's Ring
  24. 24 THE MAP OF TOLKIEN'S MIDDLE-EARTH 1994 Amazon — buy THE MAP OF TOLKIEN'S MIDDLE-EARTH Bookshop — buy THE MAP OF TOLKIEN'S MIDDLE-EARTH ThriftBooks — buy THE MAP OF TOLKIEN'S MIDDLE-EARTH eBooks.com — buy THE MAP OF TOLKIEN'S MIDDLE-EARTH
  25. 25 The war of the jewels 1994 Amazon — buy The war of the jewels Bookshop — buy The war of the jewels ThriftBooks — buy The war of the jewels eBooks.com — buy The war of the jewels
  26. 26 Tolkien's World 1994 Amazon — buy Tolkien's World Bookshop — buy Tolkien's World ThriftBooks — buy Tolkien's World eBooks.com — buy Tolkien's World
  27. 27 The Peoples of Middle-Earth 1996 Amazon — buy The Peoples of Middle-Earth Bookshop — buy The Peoples of Middle-Earth ThriftBooks — buy The Peoples of Middle-Earth eBooks.com — buy The Peoples of Middle-Earth
  28. 28 Realms of Tolkien - Images of Middle-Earth 1996 Amazon — buy Realms of Tolkien - Images of Middle-Earth Bookshop — buy Realms of Tolkien - Images of Middle-Earth ThriftBooks — buy Realms of Tolkien - Images of Middle-Earth eBooks.com — buy Realms of Tolkien - Images of Middle-Earth
  29. 29 Defending Middle-earth 1997 Amazon — buy Defending Middle-earth Bookshop — buy Defending Middle-earth ThriftBooks — buy Defending Middle-earth eBooks.com — buy Defending Middle-earth
  30. 30 Middle-Earth role playing 1997 Amazon — buy Middle-Earth role playing Bookshop — buy Middle-Earth role playing ThriftBooks — buy Middle-Earth role playing eBooks.com — buy Middle-Earth role playing
  31. 31 The Histories of Middle Earth, Volumes 1-5 2000 Amazon — buy The Histories of Middle Earth, Volumes 1-5 Bookshop — buy The Histories of Middle Earth, Volumes 1-5 ThriftBooks — buy The Histories of Middle Earth, Volumes 1-5 eBooks.com — buy The Histories of Middle Earth, Volumes 1-5
  32. 32 Tolkien's legendarium 2000 Amazon — buy Tolkien's legendarium Bookshop — buy Tolkien's legendarium ThriftBooks — buy Tolkien's legendarium eBooks.com — buy Tolkien's legendarium
  33. 33 The history of Middle-Earth III 2001 Amazon — buy The history of Middle-Earth III Bookshop — buy The history of Middle-Earth III ThriftBooks — buy The history of Middle-Earth III eBooks.com — buy The history of Middle-Earth III
  34. 34 Meditations on Middle Earth 2001 Amazon — buy Meditations on Middle Earth Bookshop — buy Meditations on Middle Earth ThriftBooks — buy Meditations on Middle Earth eBooks.com — buy Meditations on Middle Earth
  35. 35 Tolkien and the Lord of the rings 2001 Amazon — buy Tolkien and the Lord of the rings Bookshop — buy Tolkien and the Lord of the rings ThriftBooks — buy Tolkien and the Lord of the rings eBooks.com — buy Tolkien and the Lord of the rings
  36. 36 The Complete History of Middle-earth, Vol. 2 (The History of Middle-earth, Vols. 6-9) 2001 Amazon — buy The Complete History of Middle-earth, Vol. 2 (The History of Middle-earth, Vols. 6-9) Bookshop — buy The Complete History of Middle-earth, Vol. 2 (The History of Middle-earth, Vols. 6-9) ThriftBooks — buy The Complete History of Middle-earth, Vol. 2 (The History of Middle-earth, Vols. 6-9) eBooks.com — buy The Complete History of Middle-earth, Vol. 2 (The History of Middle-earth, Vols. 6-9)
  37. 37 The History of Middle-earth 2002 Amazon — buy The History of Middle-earth Bookshop — buy The History of Middle-earth ThriftBooks — buy The History of Middle-earth eBooks.com — buy The History of Middle-earth
  38. 38 The Complete History of Middle-Earth 2002 Amazon — buy The Complete History of Middle-Earth Bookshop — buy The Complete History of Middle-Earth ThriftBooks — buy The Complete History of Middle-Earth eBooks.com — buy The Complete History of Middle-Earth
  39. 39 J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth 2002 Amazon — buy J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth Bookshop — buy J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth ThriftBooks — buy J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth eBooks.com — buy J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth
  40. 40 The real Middle-Earth 2002 Amazon — buy The real Middle-Earth Bookshop — buy The real Middle-Earth ThriftBooks — buy The real Middle-Earth eBooks.com — buy The real Middle-Earth

Reading tracker

Track your progress through Middle Earth

Tick books off as you read them — your progress is saved on this device. Print it for a paper checklist, or save it as a PDF.

Read# TitleYear Date finished
1 Poems and songs of Middle Earth 1967
2 A guide to Middle-earth 1971
3 Master of Middle-earth 1972
4 The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-earth 1974
5 J.R.R. Tolkien 1976
6 The Mythology of Middle-earth 1977
7 Middle earth 1977
8 The Silmarillion 1977
9 The complete guide to Middle-earth 1978
10 The individuated hobbit 1979
11 Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth 1980
12 The Atlas of Middle-earth 1981
13 The road to Middle-Earth 1982
14 The Book of Lost Tales [1/2] 1983
15 The Book of Lost Tales [2/2] 1984
16 The Lays of Beleriand 1985
17 The Shaping of Middle-Earth 1986
18 The Lost Road and Other Writings 1987
19 Middle Earth Role Playing (MERP) 1987
20 The Pillars of the Earth 1989
21 Sauron Defeated 1992
22 The J.R.R. Tolkien handbook 1992
23 Morgoth's Ring 1993
24 THE MAP OF TOLKIEN'S MIDDLE-EARTH 1994
25 The war of the jewels 1994
26 Tolkien's World 1994
27 The Peoples of Middle-Earth 1996
28 Realms of Tolkien - Images of Middle-Earth 1996
29 Defending Middle-earth 1997
30 Middle-Earth role playing 1997
31 The Histories of Middle Earth, Volumes 1-5 2000
32 Tolkien's legendarium 2000
33 The history of Middle-Earth III 2001
34 Meditations on Middle Earth 2001
35 Tolkien and the Lord of the rings 2001
36 The Complete History of Middle-earth, Vol. 2 (The History of Middle-earth, Vols. 6-9) 2001
37 The History of Middle-earth 2002
38 The Complete History of Middle-Earth 2002
39 J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth 2002
40 The real Middle-Earth 2002

Middle Earth reading order — abookinorder.com

Where to start

Begin with Poems and songs of Middle Earth (1967). The list above follows publication order, which is how most readers approach Middle Earth — later books assume you know what happened in earlier ones.

Frequently asked

How many Middle Earth books are there?

40 to date, spanning 1967–2002.

What is the newest Middle Earth book?

The real Middle-Earth, published in 2002.