The First and Second Ages within Tolkien's legendarium feel like a time far removed from that of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings even though they constitute the underpinnings of J.R.R. Tolkien's entire mythology.

This book explores those underpinnings and in particular the nature of good and evil, creators and destroyers, and the very foundations of the world itself. It is a diverse collection of four articles which will no doubt cause the reader to reflect on their own understanding of Tolkien's works.

First published in 1992, this book is published under the auspices of the Tolkien Society's Peter Roe Memorial Fund, and features a collection of four papers delivered at the David Baxter Centre in Milton Keynes, on the 2nd June 1990.