The History of the Hobbit: Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End

The History of the Hobbit, published in 2007, was edited by J.R.R. Tolkien scholar John D. Rateliff. This two-volume set, often titled as Mr Baggins and Return to Bag-End, provides an exhaustive look at the evolution of Tolkien's seminal work. Rateliff meticulously reconstructed the original manuscript drafts, tracking how the narrative of Bilbo Baggins shifted from its initial conception to its final published form in 1937.

The design of these volumes was intended for academic and devoted readers of Tolkien's legendarium. Rateliff utilized unpublished notes, maps, and illustrations discovered within the Tolkien archives to contextualize the author's creative process. Upon its release, the collection was well received by the literary community for its rigorous scholarship, shedding light on the early development of the Middle-earth mythology and the subtle changes made to the text in subsequent editions.