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Journeys of Frodo: An Atlas of J.R.R.Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings"
Journeys of Frodo is an Atlas of 51 maps charting the epic journey that Frodo, and his companions undertake in J.R.R.Tolkien's epic work, The Lord of the Rings . Based on clear and detailed descriptions given in the text and on the original maps that appear The Lord of the Rings , as well as Tolkien's own paintings and drawings of the landscape and features of Middle-earth, this book clearly shows Frodo's route, together with the paths taken by other principal characters. The maps provide enough detail to help the reader envisage the country through which the narrative moves, and each one also has extensive notes about the journey. Having loved the volumes of The Lord of the Rings since they first appeared, Barbara Strachey wanted fuller and more detailed maps to go with them. Though not a professional cartographer or artist, she finally decided to create them herself. For nearly 20 years her efforts have provided readers of The Lord of the Rings with a new and more vivid idea of Middle-earth and her book remains an essential Tolkien's great masterpiece.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
September 4, 2021
I keep this book open as I read " The Lord of the Rings".
It gives me a better view of what the Hobbits encountered.
It gives me a better view of what the Hobbits encountered.
May 22, 2013
Based on Tolkien’s descriptions in The Lord of the Rings and his original paintings and drawings of Middle Earth, Journeys of Frodo tracks the routes taken by the hobbit and his companions of the Fellowship all the way to Gondor and, in the case of Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin, back to the Shire. Barbara Strachey had long wanted more detailed maps to follow the action and, failing the provision of a definitive atlas, embarked on the task herself despite having no background in cartography.
At the time this was published this felt to me like groundbreaking stuff with its chronologies and lunar phases, cross-referencing and discussion of inconsistencies to accompany the maps Strachey drew. In many ways it remains authoritative, if also of its time. The fifty-odd hand-drawn maps detailing each part of Frodo’s (and the others’) routes in two colours are complemented on a facing page by summaries of the related sections of the narrative, along with the author’s comments and reflections. To have the relevant pages at hand when reading the work rather than constant referral back to Tolkien’s original maps (or the re-drawn versions) in another part of the volume is certainly very useful and manageable.
The original atlas appeared in 1981, and was later republished with revisions in 1998. Nowadays I suspect that the maps would be re-jigged by professional cartographers, the chronologies dissected by Christopher Tolkien and the discussion edited by a committee. I might well buy this hypothetical new version, but for now Journeys of Frodo is a charming as well as useful guide for Middle Earth lovers embarking on their first or umpteenth reading; it certainly is less bulky and more accessible than some of the illustrated encyclopaedias I’ve seen. In view of the renewed interest in Tolkien’s world-building as the film trilogy of The Hobbit gets rolled out it’s just a shame Strachey never produced Journeys of Bilbo as a companion volume.
http://wp.me/s2oNj1-journeys
At the time this was published this felt to me like groundbreaking stuff with its chronologies and lunar phases, cross-referencing and discussion of inconsistencies to accompany the maps Strachey drew. In many ways it remains authoritative, if also of its time. The fifty-odd hand-drawn maps detailing each part of Frodo’s (and the others’) routes in two colours are complemented on a facing page by summaries of the related sections of the narrative, along with the author’s comments and reflections. To have the relevant pages at hand when reading the work rather than constant referral back to Tolkien’s original maps (or the re-drawn versions) in another part of the volume is certainly very useful and manageable.
The original atlas appeared in 1981, and was later republished with revisions in 1998. Nowadays I suspect that the maps would be re-jigged by professional cartographers, the chronologies dissected by Christopher Tolkien and the discussion edited by a committee. I might well buy this hypothetical new version, but for now Journeys of Frodo is a charming as well as useful guide for Middle Earth lovers embarking on their first or umpteenth reading; it certainly is less bulky and more accessible than some of the illustrated encyclopaedias I’ve seen. In view of the renewed interest in Tolkien’s world-building as the film trilogy of The Hobbit gets rolled out it’s just a shame Strachey never produced Journeys of Bilbo as a companion volume.
http://wp.me/s2oNj1-journeys
October 7, 2017
I have throughly enjoyed following Frodo and company along in this wonderful book of maps, made not by a mapmaker, cartographer, or artist, but simply a true fan who looked at all of Tolkien's drawings and the various descriptions of direction and distance within the story and meshed them together to create maps. Honestly the best fan homage I've ever seen, I can't image the level of devotion to minute descriptions this must have taken! That's true fandom devotion!
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February 23, 2009This is a great book! Keep it on hand as you reread the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Strachey maps out Frodo's whole journey with clear understandable maps of Middle Earth. Where was Frodo on March 26? How far is it from Bombadill's house to Rivendell? Wonder no more...
September 16, 2011
This book was a must-have for a map and atlas lover me. I only bought it about half way into the first LotR book and started over, just so I could follow Frodo's journey on the maps. A really nice addition to the trilogy for people who like to have a better picture of the fellows journeys.
August 25, 2015
This is a book I inherited from my mum who was a big fan of Tolkien and CSLewis. It has sat on my bookshelves for many years with hardly more than a glance.within. But a few days ago my daughter and I sat and looked through it together commenting and marvelling at the detail portrayed and dedication of the author to elicit the hidden information in the LOTR saga to enable her to make such detailed maps of the journeys. Ultimately the book points to the extra-ordinary level of detail that Tolkien has put into his books and reveals that he clearly had a very accurate idea of the landscape in mind as he wrote. A lovely book for serious LOTR fans.
August 23, 2010
Really fascinating dedication to the details of Lord of the Rings and Frodo's quest. It's nice to be able to visualize where they are in all of their respective journeys and some of the actual trials they would have had to have endured. This book would be great to have on hand when you're reading the books, just to reference where they were and where they've been.
February 14, 2013
The Journeys of Frodo is without a doubt my favorite Tolkien reference book. It took me some time to find a perfect first edition, but it sits proudly on my shelves now. The love and detail and level of seriousness put into the maps warms my heart. I enjoy following the map chapter by chapter as I read through the rings.
March 29, 2009
I find a map invaluable when reading a novel, and I consulted this book almost every time I read the books.
November 14, 2016
An entertaining companion piece to The Lord of the Rings
Pros: Glorious cover art by Geoff Taylor (better known for his work with David Eddings)
Incredible attention to detail
Always mentions when the hobbits stopped for lunch and how many breakfasts they had that day
Also includes the waxing and waning of the moon throughout the journey, if that floats your boat
Strachey constantly takes Grandpappy Tolkien to task for not being accurate enough with his distances
Reading it gives you hope when you realise that not even Grandpappy 'I invented multiple languages and my own creation myth' Tolkien was above forgetting how miles work
Cons: Strachey is not a professional map-maker and maps look a little bit like GCSE geography coursework. Not my GCSE geography coursework because I sucked at geography and did religious studies instead. But someone's coursework
Made me want to re-read the Lord of the Rings again.
Pros: Glorious cover art by Geoff Taylor (better known for his work with David Eddings)
Incredible attention to detail
Always mentions when the hobbits stopped for lunch and how many breakfasts they had that day
Also includes the waxing and waning of the moon throughout the journey, if that floats your boat
Strachey constantly takes Grandpappy Tolkien to task for not being accurate enough with his distances
Reading it gives you hope when you realise that not even Grandpappy 'I invented multiple languages and my own creation myth' Tolkien was above forgetting how miles work
Cons: Strachey is not a professional map-maker and maps look a little bit like GCSE geography coursework. Not my GCSE geography coursework because I sucked at geography and did religious studies instead. But someone's coursework
Made me want to re-read the Lord of the Rings again.
February 4, 2015
So monumentally useful a book, that I’m at a loss to understand why this wasn’t published spiral bound.
In 2012 it might sell well as an e-book; provided that the density of the e-ink could be tweaked to differentiate between black and red lines. I can’t see a significant advantage in putting it on a tablet, because the print book is the same size.
An excellent present for the first-time reader of LOTR.
In 2012 it might sell well as an e-book; provided that the density of the e-ink could be tweaked to differentiate between black and red lines. I can’t see a significant advantage in putting it on a tablet, because the print book is the same size.
An excellent present for the first-time reader of LOTR.
September 7, 2013
Se non vi bastano le mappe che Tolkien disegno per i suoi romanzi, ebbene questa è la soluzione. In questo atlante potrete seguire il viaggio di Frodo nei dettagli, con molte considerazioni sui tempi di percorrenza, sulle fasi della luna, sulle possibili vie alternative.
June 23, 2022
Świetna pozycja dla miłośników "Władcy Pierścieni". Autorka, na podstawie książek Tolkiena, postanowiła wytyczyć trasę podróży Froda od Bag End do Góry Przeznaczenia i z powrotem. Poprawiła przy tym pewne geograficzne niedociągnięcia w mapach Tolkiena (głównie odległości między poszczególnymi lokacjami), przez co jej atlas stał się ważną pomocą przy lekturze "Władcy Pierścieni".
December 1, 2024
Beautiful maps and accompanying notes.
April 12, 2020
This book is what I would call a classic companion to any reading of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. It is not a recent publication (dating from 1981) but, I think, has retained its timeless value and appeal. I first read it in the 1980s and have now just read it again as I complete a fresh reading of The Return of the King. I love it.
It highlights the extraordinary detail that Tolkien put into creating the world of Middle Earth, showing how everything from distances covered, dates of travel, contours and elevations, forests, rivers and mountains, through to the phases of the moon were given careful consideration by Tolkien to sustain a level of textual integrity and detailed coherence which I find unrivalled in the creation of fictional worlds. It provides a bird's eye view of the journey the reader takes with Frodo and others in the epic novels. A note of caution, however: it does contain plot spoilers, so I would recommend its use for your second or subsequent reading of the novels.
It is rightly called Journeys of Frodo with the reference to being an 'atlas' in the subtitle, since it is very much focused on that hobbit's travels (plus that of some of his companions). It does include some reflections on the Tolkien's text throughout, highlighting the very small number of textual difficulties the cartographic author had with transferring the story to maps. They are beautifully hand-drawn and complement the classic style of Christopher Tolkien in the maps he provided for his father's novels.
An essential title in your Tolkien reference library!
It highlights the extraordinary detail that Tolkien put into creating the world of Middle Earth, showing how everything from distances covered, dates of travel, contours and elevations, forests, rivers and mountains, through to the phases of the moon were given careful consideration by Tolkien to sustain a level of textual integrity and detailed coherence which I find unrivalled in the creation of fictional worlds. It provides a bird's eye view of the journey the reader takes with Frodo and others in the epic novels. A note of caution, however: it does contain plot spoilers, so I would recommend its use for your second or subsequent reading of the novels.
It is rightly called Journeys of Frodo with the reference to being an 'atlas' in the subtitle, since it is very much focused on that hobbit's travels (plus that of some of his companions). It does include some reflections on the Tolkien's text throughout, highlighting the very small number of textual difficulties the cartographic author had with transferring the story to maps. They are beautifully hand-drawn and complement the classic style of Christopher Tolkien in the maps he provided for his father's novels.
An essential title in your Tolkien reference library!
June 18, 2017
Barbara Stracheys Atlas zu J.R.R. Tolkiens "Der Herr der Ringe" ist wirklich toll gemacht! Manche Reiseabschnitte sind wesentlich einfacher zu verstehen mit den entsprechenden Karten, zumal die genauen Tage und die Dauer, an denen Frodo bzw. die Gefährten an einem Ort verbringen, nicht immer ganz einfach und klar beschrieben und ersichtlich sind. Barbara Strachey hat Tolkiens Werk genauestens gelesen und Rückschlüsse auf die Reise- und Aufenthaltsdaten und auf die Routen gemacht. Obwohl es nicht absolut nötig ist, den Atlas beim Lesen griffbereit zu halten - schliesslich sind ja in jedem Buch auch Karten vorhanden - so ist es zumindest oftmals sehr praktisch. Dass sich die Autorin beim Zusammenstellen ihrer Karten viel Mühe gegeben hat, sieht man, weswegen das Buch meiner Meinung nach auch vier Sterne verdient; ich kann es nur empfehlen.
January 10, 2019
I just finished The Lord of the Rings (I haven't actually finished reading ROTK because this time I'm reading the Appendices).
While I was reading it, every so often I would read a page or two of this book to follow along. Tolkien provides so many descriptions of Middle Earth - place names, detailed directions, etc, and it helps to have it visualised in this format.
I love maps so this was like crack for me. The first thing I do when I pick up a fantasy book is look at the maps. (I can't believe that there are currently a number of kid's book series with names like "The Mapmaker Chronicles" and they don't have maps in them! What?!)
Anyway, great stuff. Now I just need to Google for some larger maps of Tolkien's world - the Appendices' first few pages have already mentioned a bazillion place names outside of Middle Earth.
While I was reading it, every so often I would read a page or two of this book to follow along. Tolkien provides so many descriptions of Middle Earth - place names, detailed directions, etc, and it helps to have it visualised in this format.
I love maps so this was like crack for me. The first thing I do when I pick up a fantasy book is look at the maps. (I can't believe that there are currently a number of kid's book series with names like "The Mapmaker Chronicles" and they don't have maps in them! What?!)
Anyway, great stuff. Now I just need to Google for some larger maps of Tolkien's world - the Appendices' first few pages have already mentioned a bazillion place names outside of Middle Earth.
March 11, 2018
An incredibly in depth look at the journey Frodo and company took from the start of LOTR until the end. The hand drawn maps are detailed and everything is mapped chronologically! Fantastic read for fans of the series and of fantasy maps in general!
January 28, 2013
I use this book when teaching the Lord of the Rings to my middle school classes. It helps them to understand the locations of Middle-earth and the travels of the various characters.
March 15, 2013
Loved this. It helps to be able to visualize such a big and awesome world MiddleEarth is.
So wonderful.
So wonderful.
October 30, 2016
Great companion book that I wish I'd had when reading through the Lord of the Rings.
December 13, 2020
Book #179 of the year 2020
**Winter Reading Challenge 2020/2021
Challenge Topic: "Read a book from the nonfiction 800s"
This was an awesome book. If you are not a Tolkien fan (as in a reader, not the movies), you will be a little lost, but the work put into this book is amazing. The author did a lot of research and talks about where she gets a lot of her information to create the Atlas. Wonderful Companion to have for sure if you like to look at maps when you are reading these types of books.
**Winter Reading Challenge 2020/2021
Challenge Topic: "Read a book from the nonfiction 800s"
This was an awesome book. If you are not a Tolkien fan (as in a reader, not the movies), you will be a little lost, but the work put into this book is amazing. The author did a lot of research and talks about where she gets a lot of her information to create the Atlas. Wonderful Companion to have for sure if you like to look at maps when you are reading these types of books.
February 15, 2021
Excellent resource to have on hand when reading LOTR. Tolkien was very specific about the geography and the travels in LOTR, and this atlas provides a great way to follow the characters as they travel across Middle-earth.
My only issue is the organization of the maps. They’re a touch back and forth as they follow the various characters. There also are no larger-scale maps showing the entirety of the travels in LOTR. Something like that, perhaps as a fold out, would have been appreciated, and would have added a lot to the overall presentation.
My only issue is the organization of the maps. They’re a touch back and forth as they follow the various characters. There also are no larger-scale maps showing the entirety of the travels in LOTR. Something like that, perhaps as a fold out, would have been appreciated, and would have added a lot to the overall presentation.
January 13, 2023
Wyjątkowy atlas, niczego o zbliżonej dokładności, zawartych detalach, nie znajdziemy online ani offline. Autorka dokładnie analizuje tekst Władcy Pierścieni i mapy narysowane przez Tolkiena. Stara się zsynchronizować różne źródła, a czasem lekko skorygować, gdy wymaga tego rozsądek. Piękny dodatek do trylogii.
July 13, 2024
Αρκετά όμορφη προσπάθεια, που για ακόμη μια φορά σε κάνει να θες να μπεις ξανά και ξανά στον κόσμο του Καθηγητή. Απαραίτητο μόνο σε όποιον θέλει να έχει τα πάντα από τη Μέση Γη, αλλά σίγουρα πολύ όμορφο για όποιον το διαβάσει
January 21, 2020
Gorgeous book, so detailed in the description of the passages to produce the maps.
June 19, 2020
(I have a different cover than what is displayed)
I bought this in my teenage years when I read LotR.
Special memories - hours spent studying the map's contours.
Unique book
I bought this in my teenage years when I read LotR.
Special memories - hours spent studying the map's contours.
Unique book
December 2, 2020
Bought this when first published, and if like me you enjoy following a journey via its map, this is an absolute must for readers of The Lord of the Rings
February 11, 2022
Amazingly comprehensive and detailed overview of the journeys in The Lord of the Rings. Fair play to Barbara Strachey, this would have taken some effort.
August 10, 2022
An excellent accompaniment to Lord of the Rings to keep track of things as you read, but also interesting in its own right in terms of trying to reconcile the descriptions to produce the maps
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews