J. R. R. Tolkien Reads Excerpts from the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit

Contents: The Lord of the Rings The Hobbit The Adventures of Tom Bombadil The Road Goes Ever On


The thrill of hearing J R R Tolkien perform excerpts from his own works is a unique and unforgettable experience for anyone who has been enchanted by the magic of his mythical world.


J R R Tolkien recorded his favourite poems and passages from The Lord of the Rings in August 1952. He had been working on the book for over 14 years and had almost given up hope of ever seeing it in print. But hearing this recording played back to him prompted Tolkien to send it to a former pupil who had become a publisher. The result was that even during his lifetime over three million copies of the book were sold, and fifty million more have been sold since his death.


Also included in this collection are Tolkien’s recordings of excerpts from The Hobbit and The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, together with William Elvin’s performance of The Road Goes Ever On, accompanied on the piano by its composer Donald Swann and directed by Pulitzer Prize winner Howard Sackler.