excellent content, printing mediocre ... | The Atlas of Middle-Earth (Revised Edition)

Very nice, but still left unsatisfied. | The Atlas of Middle-Earth (Revised Edition) | Karen Wynn Fonstad

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	• The Atlas of Middle-Earth (Revised Edition) Karen Wynn Fonstad Mariner Books, 2001 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 83 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Fonstad's Atlas as a work of Interpretation and Criticism

A few previous reviewers have attempted to sully this product with claims of inaccuracy; one in particular (Mr. Martinez) has stayed on this item's main page for years and is considered helpful by 85% of responders. He rants in two separate reviews and with multiple paragraphs that Fonstad didn't do her homework and that this is overall a "bad" piece of work. Despite these claims staying largely unsubstantiated even after Mr. Martinez's second review (he names a few of these errors in both reviews, but claims there are too many errors to tabulate), many other reviewers have referenced Mr. Martinez's review as if it is authoritative; that, along with the fact that many hundreds of others have clicked the little button that says Mr. Martinez's comments have been helpful to them (indicating perhaps that they have not purchased this book thanks to Mr. Martinez) is what urges me to write this review.

Since I am not a cartographer nor a Tolkien expert I cannot comment on the veracity of Mr. Martinez's claims; his overall picture, however, is so negative that once I had this item (the only one like it on the market currently) I spent some time comparing the book to the Lord of the Rings itself, and used it as a guide on my first complete read-through of The Hobbit since I was a child. I have walked away totally satisfied by Fonstad's book, with only a few minor criticisms. As a Tolkien fan who is working his way through a casual Tolkien survey, I can say that Mr. Martinez's vitriolic critique is totally wrong-headed. His error lies in his presuppositions: 1) that Middle-Earth is a complete and real thing, not something created by a man; he therefore assumes that Middle-Earth is always consistent and requires no interpretive work as regards its geography, and 2) that the only audience for this book is scholarly, and therefore scholarly exactitude is required in marking its worth.

On the first point, Mr. Martinez assumes that there is a "right answer" to the geography of Middle-Earth, and that clearly Fonstad has not got it. Fonstad is sweeping in her scope and level of detail, but she is upfront about her assumptions and guesses, never presenting herself as anyone more than a skilled cartographer trying to make as much sense of this varied world as possible. The amount of time Tolkien spent creating his universe, from the early 1900s to his death, should indicate that HIS errors were unavoidable without major revision. See also The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion for details on Tolkien's mistakes (geographical and otherwise), which do not destroy his work, but nonetheless do exist.

Fonstad's book is in many ways putting pieces together that weren't made to fit, and for this it should not be considered authoritative unless considering the absence of any competing atlases. Certainly someone should make a competing Atlas, but considering the contradictions inherent in Tolkien's works, it would be no more "correct" on many points than Fonstad's (though I'm sure many errors could be removed). It is in this sense that any atlas of Middle-Earth (as any illustration of Middle-Earth) should be considered "interpretive."

As for the second point, Mr. Martinez rates the product as 2 out of 5 stars and says "Tolkien readers need a new cartographical reference. Hopefully, one will come along some day that doesn't look this bad." Here Mr. Martinez is specifically speaking about Tolkien readers, not scholars; he writes his review as if the average or even enthusiastic Tolkien reader could not garner any joy from this book. Fonstad doubtless has made mistakes, especially considering that she published her revision prior to Christopher Tolkien releasing the entire "History of Middle-Earth" series. I noticed one or two general mistakes myself, though nothing that has destroyed my confidence in the general quality of her book; I must again reiterate that Fonstad consistently states where she draws her conclusions from, and therefore the reader is encouraged to test her words against Tolkien's text. Mr. Martinez's time would be better spent listing and compiling these mistakes rather than dissuading readers from consulting the only available Middle-Earth atlas.

Fonstad's book really is a work of criticism, pointing out the grandeur, the consistency, and occasionally the mistakes in Tolkien's work. When shining a light on The Hobbit, Fonstad's book shows us how truly inadequate its geography and timeline is when compared to the Lord of the Rings, where Tolkien was much more consistent. It is immeasurable how valuable Fonstad's book has been for readers like me. This is without mentioning that the scholars Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull reference her work three times in their authoritative The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion.

The best "negative" review on Amazon about this work is by Wade West "Glorfindel" who offers a highly critical four-star review that is qualified by his endorsement to purchase the book. To say it clearly: if you need a LotR map or want help visualizing Tolkien's world, get this book. Like everything else written on Tolkien, it is a start, not an end.

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excellent content, printing mediocre ...

I like very much content of this book. Very nice. Unfortunately publisher did mediocre job. Quality of paper not very good, sometimes maps that take two pages are shifted, and quite often it's very hard to see the map in the place where the spine is.

Very nice, but still left unsatisfied.

I'll start with saying the Atlas of Middle-Earth is a great read. It's most definitely a fantastic addition to any Tolkien lovers collection. I in no way regret buying it.

It provides an in depth look at several interesting moments throughout the first, second and third age. Then it goes even more into detail with providing the travel paths Bilbo and the Dwarves took during The Hobbit, and Frodo and the Fellowship took during the Lord of the Rings. It also provides descriptive explanations at what you're looking at for each map, and how or why the map might have changed. It's great for getting a solid look at how the world has shifted over the ages, and provides a pleasant surprise to how Tolkien related it to our current world today.

On the downside it still does not provide any maps or information leading to the Far East, nor Harad, or the Iron Hills northeast of Mirkwood. This may be due to a lack of information provided by Tolkien on the areas at large. Or it may just be research that has not been brought to a close to add in. In any event, I was definitely a slight bit disappointed with the unsaid mystery that this book along with many others have left unexplained and uncharted.

As mentioned in some previous reviews. There are some small differences in the mapping, city scale and design, from other maps, artwork and of course the movies, that will leave you a bit in question. For example the layout and scale of Minis Tirith is a fair ways off for the conceptual design they used in the movie as well as some of the artwork you see in the illustrated novels. However overall the accuracy and detail of the book is absolutely fantastic.

I give it a four star review overall, which would've been a five had it provided some detail or explanation on the uncharted lands mentioned above.

I definitely recommend it to everyone I know who is a Tolkien enthusiast and do say the price for the quality is more than reasonable. You won't be disappointed with this book.

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Best Middle Earth Atlas Available

I used this book to chart my way thru The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and the LOR books. To be honest, I am not sure I could have pieced together what happens after the War of Wrath geographically when at the end of the 1st age, Beleriand drops off into the ocean of Belegaer. While this book is not perfect it was certainly helpful. One of the most irritating and confusing aspects of this book was the muted color pallet. The color pallet is definitely not user friendly. One gets lost in the haze of muted colors. While the section cuts are helpful, they are not keyed to the maps leaving one trying to figure out where the sections are cut. All in all, if you are looking for an atlas to help you along thru the JRR Tolkien masterpieces, this did the job. A bit of warning, reading the text ahead of the books will spoil the plots! Look at the maps first, then after reading the applicable Tolkien chapters, read the Atlas text afterwards.

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great companion

Great companion book to one of the best series of all time. I love maps and these really give you some insight into Tolkien's world.

Karen Wynn Fonstad's THE ATLAS OF MIDDLE-EARTH is an essential volume that will enchant all Tolkien fans. Here is the definitive guide to the geography of Middle-earth, from its founding in the Elder Days through the Third Age, including the journeys of Bilbo, Frodo, and the Fellowship of the Ring. Authentic and updated -- nearly one third of the maps are new, and the text is fully revised -- the atlas illuminates the enchanted world created in THE SILMARILLION, THE HOBBIT, and THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Hundreds of two-color maps and diagrams survey the journeys of the principal characters day by day -- including all the battles and key locations of the First, Second, and Third Ages. Plans and descriptions of castles, buildings, and distinctive landforms are given, along with thematic maps describing the climate, vegetation, languages, and population distribution of Middle-earth throughout its history. An extensive appendix and an index help readers correlate the maps with Tolkien's novels.

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