J.R.R. Tolkien drew on his professorial expertise in Anglo-Saxon literature and the early mythology and folklore of Great Britain in creating this popular classic centering on the perils of Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo became one of the author's most enduring and vividly realized creations in this precursor to the legendary The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Yale literary scholar Harold Bloom introduces this compilation of concise critical excerpts, which also includes an annotated bibliography and an index for easy reference.