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The Fall of Númenor cover art

The Fall of Númenor

By: J.R.R. Tolkien, Brian Sibley - editor
Narrated by: Samuel West, Brian Sibley
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Summary

J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings on the Second Age of Middle-earth, collected for the first time in one volume.

J.R.R. Tolkien famously described the Second Age of Middle-earth as a ‘dark age, and not very much of its history is (or need be) told’. And for many years readers would need to be content with the tantalizing glimpses of it found within the pages of The Lord of the Rings and its appendices, including the forging of the Rings of Power, the building of the Barad-dûr and the rise of Sauron.

It was not until Christopher Tolkien published The Silmarillion after his father’s death that a fuller story could be told. Although much of the book’s content concerned the First Age of Middle-earth, there were at its close two key works that revealed the tumultuous events concerning the rise and fall of the island of Númenor. Raised out of the Great Sea and gifted to the Men of Middle-earth as a reward for aiding the angelic Valar and the Elves in the defeat and capture of the Dark Lord Morgoth, the kingdom became a seat of influence and wealth; but as the Númenóreans’ power increased, the seed of their downfall would inevitably be sown, culminating in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.

Even greater insight into the Second Age would be revealed in subsequent publications, first in Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth, then expanded upon in Christopher Tolkien’s magisterial twelve-volume The History of Middle-Earth, in which he presented and discussed a wealth of further tales written by his father, many in draft form.

Now, adhering to the timeline of ‘The Tale of Years’ in the appendices to The Lord of the Rings, editor Brian Sibley has assembled into one comprehensive volume a new chronicle of the Second Age of Middle-earth, told substantially in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien from the various published texts.

©2022 The Tolkien Estate Limited, The Tolkien Trust and the estate of C.R. Tolkien, Brian Sibley (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Critic reviews

"How, given little over half a century of work, did one man become the creative equivalent of a people?" (The Guardian)

"Demanding to be compared with English mythologies…at times rises to the greatness of true myth." (Financial Times)

"A creation of singular beauty…magnificent in its best moments." (Washington Post)

What listeners say about The Fall of Númenor

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Fantastic

Thank you to all who put this book together I’m relieved surprised enthralled and captivated by the wonderful world of a great man. If only a Television series could’ve taken note.
Thank you

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9 people found this helpful

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Not a story!

Disappointing yet resourceful.
I have read all of Tolkiens major works from the hobbit to the return of the king.
After watching the new tv series available on Amazon prime I wanted to know more about Númenor and thought that this book would provide an actual story with characters and a plot to follow.
After listening to the sample and putting the droning on of the narrator about the facts of this book down to a prologue that would give way to the actual story I decided to give it a go.

Two more hours of listening and it became abundantly clear that there is no story. No characters to follow and nothing resembling a plot.
It is quite literally a history book. A dull listen at best.
If you want a quick and easy way to fall asleep at night then crack on. However if you where expecting a well written tale about how Númenor fell as the name suggests then don’t bother.

I’d get more pleasure out of watching paint dry. Which I regularly do as I’m a painter and decorator who listens to these story’s to break the dull boredom of literary watching paint dry.

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5 people found this helpful

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A must for fans of Tolkien, Especially if you are interested in this corner of middle Earth

A great antidote to Amazons poorly made and offensive uber woke series, that is “reflecting the world, North America, that we live in today.” This book sets the record straight and the audio version is beautifully made

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4 people found this helpful

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Magnificent!

Thank you, Mr. Sibley & Mr West!
This is a well informed, well researched & well presented synopsis of the wealth of material, written by JRRT & edited by his son....concerning the Valar, the Elves, the Numenoreans, & the Men-of -Middle Earth...
It's a wonderful précis.
When I read Tolkien, I stumble over some of the names. With this audio-book I can let their magic wash over me.
Don't buy this expecting A Story... it is a treasure chest of many stories...a glimpse into the history of the fabled lands in the First & Second Ages, a precursor to the Third Age War of the Rings, a scholarly exposition of Tolkien's œuvre.
Thank you!

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great insight in the second age

helps you bridge nicely between the Silmarillon and the lord of the rings third era. enjoyed all the insight and comment of the notes.
well worthed to be added in the marathon of tolkien

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Excellent organisation of this part of Tolkien's history

After watching “The Rings of Power” and knowing that they’d played fast and loose with Númenorean history, I was delighted to find this work to set things right, so to speak. I really liked Brian Sibley's editorial notes and Samuel West's performance of Tolkien’s words was amazing.

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Loved it

Makes the history of the Second, as well as the Third, Age Michael clearer. Brilliant.

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A Dark Tale of the Second Age

I loved this tale in the Second Age. It's dark but beautiful to hear the myth.

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it's more of an encyclopedia then a story

having only finished the silmarillion, I wanted to delve deeper. I would recommend reading the silmarillion instead as this book is a combination of extracts from the silmarillion and other of Tolkien's work. the combination of these extracts aren't told as a story but as if they're citations. whenever new information is told, they state its source, chapter, and then read the paragraph. they leave out the characters and just the key events. This gives it the feel of an encyclopedia rather than a story.

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Delightful listen!!!

This was a thrilling insight to the fall of Numenor and provided wonderful info the decline in knowledge and grace of andor! Rich, detailed and deeply fulfilling!!

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