Treason of Isengard: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Two (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 7) (Hardcover)

~ J.R.R. Tolkien (Author), (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Collectively, these volumes are marketed as "The History of The Lord of the Rings" and tell alternate stories of the siege of Middle-earth and Sauron's defeat.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

The Treason of Isengard is the seventh volume in Christopher Tolkien's History of Middle-earth and the second in his account of the evolution of The Lord of the Rings. This book follows the long halt in the darkness of the Mines of Moria (which ended The Return of the Shadow) and traces the tale into new lands south and east of the Misty Mountains. Tolkien introduces us to Lothlorien, land of the elves, where we meet the Ents, the Riders of Rohan, and Saruman the White in the fortress of Isengard. In brief outlines and penciled drafts dashed down on scraps of paper are the first entry of Galadriel; the earliest ides of the history of Gondor; and the original meeting of Aragorn with Eowyn, its significance destined to be wholly transformed. Conceptions of what lay ahead dissolve as the story takes its own paths, as in the account of the capture of Frodo and his rescue by Sam Gamgee from Minas Morgul, written long before J.R.R. Tolkien actually reached that point in the writing of The Lord of the Rings. A chief feature of the book is a full account of the original Map, with drawings of successive phases, which was long the basis and accompaniment of the emerging geography of Middle-earth. An appendix describes the Runic alphabets of the time, with illustrations of the forms and an analysis of the Runes used in the Book of Mazarbul found beside Balin's tomb in Moria.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (November 30, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395515629
• ISBN-13: 978-0395515624
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #263,910 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 7 in The History of Middle-earth Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Addition. . ., February 1, 2001

By	David Zampino "21st Century Hobbit" (Delavan, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Treason of Isengard: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Two (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 7) (Paperback)

. . .to the History of Middle Earth Collection.

"The Treason of Isengard" is the seventh volume in Christopher Tolkien's masterful "History of Middle Earth" series, and the second volume in the subset within that series dedicated to the history of "The Lord of the Rings". As I've suggested in a previous review, all those prospective authors out there should "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest" what Christoper has done in these volumes. He has provided an in-depth, graduate-level seminar in the process behind writing a novel. For this reason alone, the book is valuable.

But the book's value far exceeds its mere literary merit for those who truly love Middle-Earth. (Although I disagree with much of what Peter Beagle has written about "The Lord of the Rings", I can sympathize with his desire to go to Middle-Earth! I wish I could, as well!

This book details the material that eventually became the end of "The Fellowship of the Ring" and the first part of "The Two Towers". In it, we see the earliest forms of the visit to Lorien, the fall and repentance of Boromir, and the events leading up to the fall of Isengard (which is related in the next volume). Of particular interest:

Tolkien still struggles with how to portray the Ents. Originally, Treebeard was Giant Tree Beard -- and an enemy.

The numerous illustrations provided throughout the book. I found particularly interesting the various stages of development that

Orthanc underwent.

The Appendix on runes. Apparently, the runic inscription on Balin's tomb in Moria led Tolkien into an elaborate description of runes and their types, who used what, etc. Some of this material made it into the Appendix of "The Lord of the Rings" -- but not all of it.

Altogether, and enjoyable read. I fervently wish that more effort was concentrated on Tolkien scholarship than on fandom -- but such is the way of the world, I suppose.

Five Stars -- and well worth it.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seventh edition in a great literary accomplishment, October 9, 1998

By	[e-mail] (South Dakota) - See all my reviews

In the seventh volume of The History of Middle Earth Christopher Tolkien takes us from Hobbiton to Fangorn as his father first wrote it. It is sometimes simply amazing to see how much work JRR Tolkien put into LOTR. In this book you will see the countless revisions, thanks to Christopher's indespensible notes, along with early sketches of Orthanc, Minas Morgul, and Moria. I would recommend this book to any Tolkien fan who wants to learn more about The Lord of the Rings.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Roots of Betrayal, October 25, 2000

By	Leigh H. Kimmel (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Treason of Isengard: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Two (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 7) (Paperback)

In this volume, Christopher Tolkien continues to explore his father's manuscript versions of The Lord of the Rings. By this point in the story, it had clearly grown beyond the "Hobbit sequel" the elder Tolkien had originally set out to write, but he was still not entirely certain of the road it would be taking. As he made new discoveries about his characters and the world in which they lived, it was necessary to go back to the beginning and make the existing text match the new developments.

It is particularly fascinating for me as a writer to see the footprints of the master, to see writing as *process* rather than merely as finished product. Reading this volume and the others in the History of Middle Earth series will be instructive to those non-writer family members and friends who can't seem to understand that novels don't simply pour forth fully formed, to be written from beginning to end the way one might write a thank-you note or an essay. There are false starts and dead ends that have to be discarded, changes to be made, and most of all long periods of seeming idleness while the hands are still but the brain is hard at work struggling with issues of plot and character, times when interruption is unwelcome because it can disrupt the train of thought and send fragments of plot and idea flying in all directions like a shattered glass.