: [snip]

: Well, it's also because it's a David Day book. I'm sure the artwork is superb, but Day is possibly the worst source of information on Tolkien's world one could find. Take whatever he says (or draws) with a lot of salt.

: The identification between Middle-earth and Earth is conceptual, but intended to be real. Arnor and Gondor would indeed comprise western Europe, but Tolkien never intended the map to have any real similarity to the physical record of our world. He later expressed regret that he did not try to bring the map into closer relation with Europe's shape.

>>>Yes, some of the information in the book is quite debatable, but it does take a whole lot of information from different sources and puts it all in one place. The main problem I have with it is that he assumes to much; in other words, he writes things that are not factual, and writes them as if they are. For example, one thing on Denethor that I read says that he sent Boromir north specifically to find the One Ring and bring it back to use against Sauron; I quite disagree with that statement, as I am sure many of you do. Another thing that I am unsure about is one statement he wrote on the winged creatures of the Nazgul. We have debated a long time what they are and where they are from a long time here, but in his book he says they are an ancient species left over from before the Ages of the Lamps. Where did this come from? I think that if Tolkien ever said anything about them, it would have come up here. I don't remember hearing or reading anything of the sort. But some of the artwork is superb.
I'm just curious, Michael, but do you know him personally?