J.R.R. 托尔金（J.R.R. Tolkien）（1892-1973），英国文豪，天才的语言学家，牛津大学默顿学院英国语言与文学教授，1919—1920年牛津英语词典（OED）的编委。他以瑰丽的想像和精深的语言，建立了一个英语世界的全新神话体系。托尔金的雄心壮志不在于写作一个传奇故事，或一部史诗。在他所创作的一系列中洲史诗中，影响最为深远的是《霍比特人》（The Hobbit: There and Back Again） 和《魔戒》（The Lord of the Rings）。这两部巨作被誉为当代奇幻作品的鼻祖，至今已畅销2.5亿余册，被翻译成60余种语言。美国每年销售的大约一亿本平装书中，就有四分之一可以追溯到托尔金的作品。《魔戒》被美国亚马逊网络书店票选为“两千年以来最重要的书”。由托尔金小说改编的电影《指环王》《霍比特人》掀起21世纪奇幻文艺的全面复兴。世界拜倒在他脚下。

吴刚，上海外国语大学副教授，英美文学博士。教文学教翻译为生，读文学做翻译为乐，嗜书如命的永久性文学青年。

Sumptuous, oversized hardback edition of the beloved children's classic, fully illustrated with over 60 watercolour and pencil illustrations by award-winning artist, Alan Lee. J.R.R. Tolkien's great classic work, The Hobbit, celebrated its 60th year of publication (1937) with a gorgeous illustrated edition by artist Alan Lee, winner of the Kate Greenaway medal for illustration, and creator of the fabulously successful Centenary edition of The Lord of the Rings. Containing 22 full colour illustrations depicting key scenes from this all-time classic (scenes such as Gollum and Bilbo, The Wargs, Smaug the Dragon and The Battle of the Five Armies), this beautifully designed volume also includes a wealth of integrated pencil drawings which demonstrate perfectly Alan's genius at work. Alan Lee's work on this book, as well as the illustrated Lord of the Rings, led to him being approached by Peter Jackson to join the film trilogy as Conceptual Artist. The same artistic vision, present in his beautiful paintings and drawings, played a major role in the look of the films, and his work received the ultimate accolade with an Academy Award for Best Art Direction on The Return of the King.