# Tolkien Companions



## HLGStrider (Feb 26, 2006)

I own two "Tolkien Guidebooks," Tylers, "New Tolkien Companion" and Fosters "Complete Guide to Middle Earth."

When I had just finished the Lord of the Rings, I was still a very hungry young fan, but I was stifled by my local library. I didn't know what other books Tolkien had written let alone how to get my hands on them, so I just went to the T section and started searching. I didn't find anything my first time through except for copies of the Lord of the Rings but low and behold, there was a copy of Robert Foster's Guidebook! I snatched it up and read and read and read.

And so I was introduced to the greater history of Middle Earth not through the Sil or the UT but through the summaries of another author. Considering my age, this might have been a good way for me to do it. When I finally did get a hold of the Sil it took me a great deal of time to read through it, and having the background of the names and such provided me with a reference point. 

So I love Tolkien guidebooks. I use mine all the time when posting on this side, and since they are alphabetical, I generally check them before the actual books (they can tell you what page in the books to look for for references too.).

Does anyone else use Tolkien guide books? Do you find them reliably acurate to the work of the author? Do you think this sort of summary is helpful or does it take away from your enjoyment to have everything condensed into encyclopedic form?

What say you?

Elgee


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## Wolfshead (Feb 26, 2006)

Despite not having read LOTR for about 4 (!) years now I can still recall a stupid amount of random trivia from having read Foster's _Complete Guide to Middle-Earth_. I found it was a great reference book when I wanted to learn about a specific topic, and it was particulary useful for settling discussions on here. I never noticed inaccuracies or incosistencies in it.


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## e.Blackstar (Feb 26, 2006)

I don't have Foster's or anything, but I have a couple of guide-books whose names I can't recall at this moment, and they're moderately useful. So...um...hurrah.


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## mjb0123 (Feb 26, 2006)

Those guides are especially helpful when trying to remember all that elves stuff! It takes quite a bit of energy to remember which tribe of elves came from other tribes. The guides say it succinctly and easily in a paragraph or two.

Matt


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## Ithrynluin (Feb 26, 2006)

I suppose companions are useful, it's just that I never felt the need for them. There's more than enough Tolkien reference sites strewn all over the www, and quite a few of them are excellent.


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## Thorondor_ (Feb 27, 2006)

Interestingly enough, even Chris confessed in the introduction to UT to frequently using Robert Foster's Complete Guide to Middle-earth.


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## baragund (Feb 27, 2006)

I own Tyler's "Tolkien Companion" and the one that is a collection of maps by Karen Winstead something-or-other.

I find these helpful for quick references. Tyler is helpful, when I can't remember the significance of a given person or place but for an authoritative description I go the the source materials. 

The map book is really helpful to get a better feel for the geography of a particular region. They are a lot more detailed than the maps in the source books.


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## Uminya (Feb 27, 2006)

Back in my day, all we had was indexes, see? And we used 'em! Uphill, both ways, in hail, sleet, snow, and invasion! Didn't see us usin' no confusticated guide books, nosiree. Doesn't sit right with me, not one bit, thank you very much and good day to you. I'll stick with my index, it does fine by me!


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## Snaga (Mar 4, 2006)

I own exactly the same ones as Baragund (its Karen Wynn Fonstad I think... it would be sensible to go and check but I am rather lazy today).

Although I own them, I don't often refer to them. I like the Atlas because it shows you information in an entirely new way. The Tyler companion I generally find to be provide less information than I carry in my head anyway. I suppose that just shows that I ought to consider getting a life.


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## Walter (Mar 4, 2006)

Snaga said:


> I own exactly the same ones as Baragund (its Karen Wynn Fonstad I think... it would be sensible to go and check but I am rather lazy today).


Aye... 

I too have Foster & Fonstad and I find both very useful...

...and a curious one called _The Journeys of Frodo_ by B. Strachey...


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