The first chapter in Peter Jackson's new epic trilogy set in Middle Earth 60 years before J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the rings saga. Follow Bilbo Baggins as he's swept into a quest to reclaim the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached by the wizard Gandalf, Bilbo joins a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Along the way they face many dangers; Bilbo meets Gollum and takes...

Bilbo Baggins, a respectable, well-to-do hobbit, lives comfortably in his hobbit-hole until the day the wandering wizard Gandalf chooses him to take part in an adventure from which he may never return.

Draws on the philosophies of Hobbit lore to counsel readers on how to live rich and satisfying lives, exploring such ideas as the benefits of simple pleasures with friends, giving to others, and carrying burdens without becoming overwhelmed.

It is well known that J.R.R. Tolkien published The Hobbit in 1937 and The Lord of the Rings in 1954-5. What may be less known is that he continued to write about Middle-earth in the decades that followed, right up until the years before his death in 1973. For him, Middle-earth was part of an entire world to be explored, and the writings in The Nature of Middle-earth reveal the journeys that he took as he sought to better understand his unique creation....