Publisher, BBC Audiobooks America (September 2008)

NOTE: RETAIL EDITIONS are packaged in attractive, compact cardboard, jewel-case or DVD shrink-wrapped cases, with full-color art.

"Originally broadcast in 1981 on BBC Radio, this full-cast adaptation of Tolkien's epic trilogy is justifiably regarded as a classic…Ian Holm (who appeared as Bilbo in the films) offers a mature, nuanced portrayal of Frodo that is far truer to the text than Elijah Wood's wide-eyed innocent approach." —Publishers Weekly

"The lavish, atmospheric production of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, which originally aired on the BBC in the early 1980s, has been repackaged into a handsome black boxed set that should satisfy your favorite hobbit." —The Boston Globe

Widely regarded as a broadcasting landmark, this thrilling dramatization by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell boasts a truly outstanding cast including Ian Holm, Michael Hordern, Robert Stephens, and John Le Mesurier. Tolkien's tale relates the perilous attempt by Frodo Baggins and company to defeat the evil Saruman and dispose of the Ruling Ring. Brian Sibley, one of the original dramatists, wrote the opening and closing narration for the character of Frodo, played by Ian Holm, who now stars as Bilbo in the feature films based on The Lord of the Rings. The program includes a bonus CD featuring Steven Oliver's complete musical score and a demo version of John Le Mesurier singing Bilbo's Last Song. Also included: a fold-out version of the original Middle-earth map, by Christopher Tolkien.

About the Author: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on the 3rd January, 1892 at Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State, but at the age of four he and his brother were taken back to England by their mother to be raised. His mother died when he was only twelve and he and his brother became wards of the local priest. When a professor at Oxford, he wrote stories for his children telling them the story of "The Hobbit". When his publisher asked for a sequel to "The Hobbit", he wrote "Lord of the Rings" , which took twelve years to complete. He died in September 1973.