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J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien Books in Order: Complete Guide (2026)

13 books • 2 series

J.R.R. Tolkien was born on 3rd January 1892. After serving in the First World War, he became best known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, selling 150 million copies in more than 40 languages worldwide. Awarded the CBE and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Oxford University, he died in 1973 at the age of 81.

📅 Publication Timeline

Visual overview of J. R. R. Tolkien's publishing history.

1937 2018
1937
The Hobbit 1937 (Middle-earth)
1945
Leaf by Niggle 1945 (Standalone)
1949
Farmer Giles of Ham 1949 (Standalone)
1954
The Fellowship of the Rin... 1954 (Middle-earth)
1954
The Two Towers 1954 (Middle-earth)
1955
The Return of the King 1955 (Middle-earth)
1962
The Adventures of Tom Bom... 1962 (Standalone)
1967
Smith of Wootton Major 1967 (Standalone)
1977
The Silmarillion 1977 (Middle-earth)
1980
Unfinished Tales 1980 (Middle-earth)
2007
The Children of Húrin 2007 (Middle-earth)
2017
Beren and Lúthien 2017 (Middle-earth)
2018
The Fall of Gondolin 2018 (Middle-earth)
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📚 At a Glance: J. R. R. Tolkien Book List

Middle-earth Series

  • The Hobbit (1937)
  • The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)
  • The Two Towers (1954)
  • The Return of the King (1955)
  • The Silmarillion (1977)
  • Unfinished Tales (1980)
  • The Children of Húrin (2007)
  • Beren and Lúthien (2017)
  • The Fall of Gondolin (2018)

Standalone Series

  • Farmer Giles of Ham (1949)
  • Leaf by Niggle (1945)
  • Smith of Wootton Major (1967)
  • The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1962)
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Middle-earthStandalone

Middle-earth Series

Reading order for the Middle-earth series:

1.0
The Hobbit

The Hobbit

★★★★½ 4.5 1937-01-01

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2.0
The Fellowship of the Ring

The Fellowship of the Ring

★★★★☆ 4.1 1954-01-01

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3.0
The Two Towers

The Two Towers

★★★★½ 4.8 1954-01-01

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4.0
The Return of the King

The Return of the King

★☆☆☆☆ 1.0 1955-01-01

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5.0
The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion

★★★★½ 4.8 1977-01-01

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6.0
Unfinished Tales

Unfinished Tales

★★★★½ 4.8 1980-01-01

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7.0
The Children of Húrin

The Children of Húrin

★★★★½ 4.5 2007-01-01

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8.0
Beren and Lúthien

Beren and Lúthien

★★★★½ 4.6 2017-01-01

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9.0
The Fall of Gondolin

The Fall of Gondolin

★★★★½ 4.7 2018-01-01

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Standalone Series

Reading order for the Standalone series:

1
Farmer Giles of Ham

Farmer Giles of Ham

★★★★½ 4.8 1949-01-01

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2
Leaf by Niggle

Leaf by Niggle

★★★★½ 4.8 1945-01-01

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3
Smith of Wootton Major

Smith of Wootton Major

★★★★½ 4.6 1967-01-01

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4
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

★★★★½ 4.7 1962-01-01

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