Vol VIII of the HoMe series.

The War of the Ring takes up the story of The Lord of the Rings with the {Battle of Helms Deep}? and the drowning of Isengard by the Ents, continues with the journey of Frodo, Sam and Gollum to the Pass of CirithUngol, describes the war in Gondor, and ends with the parley between Gandalf and the ambassador of the DarkLord before the BlackGate of Mordor. Unforeseen developments that would become central to the narrative are seen at the moment of their emergence: the Palantír bursting into fragments on the stairs of Orthanc, its nature as unknown to the author as to those who saw it fall, or the entry of Faramir into the story ('I am sure I did not invent him, I did not even want him, though I like him, but there he came walking through the woods of lthilien').

The book is illustrated with plans and drawings of the changing conceptions of Orthanc, Dunharrow, MinasTirith and the tunnels of Shelob's Lair.

description from the back-cover of the book