Lin Carter introduces readers to Tolkien's epic trilogy then takes them on a scholarly yet populist journey through the massive web of myths and legends that Tolkien drew on for both imagery and themes during his life's work. Carter's book places Tolkien's trilogy in the context of world mythology and legend and is a tribute to Tolkiens power of assimilation and original vision. It is the ideal introduction to the background of the LORD OF THE RINGS for the legions of new fans.

If JRR Tolkien was the single author most responsible for the existence of Fantasy as a modern publishing genre then the single editor and critic with the same claim was Lin Carter. His tireless advocacy of both modern fantasy writers and their historical forbears as the first editor on the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series was hugely influential.