The enchanting prelude to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit is the story of Bilbo Baggins, a quiet and contented hobbit whose life is turned upside down when he joins the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves on their quest to reclaim stolen treasure. It is a journey fraught with danger and in the end it is Bilbo Baggins alone who must face the guardian of this treasure, the most dreaded dragon in all Middle-earth. A flawless masterpiece --Times of London One of the best children's stories of this century --New York Times Book Review