Previously this book was only available in a paperback edition from 2002, but this (new) edition was released in 2010 (publication date given as 4th March) as part of the Tolkien Bookshop ‘Print on Demand’ service.

This service provides new printings (to order) of out-of-print editions - notably the twelve volumes of the History of Middle-earth series (for more details, see http://www.tolkien.co.uk/PrintonDemand). This ‘Index’ has been specially designed to match those original books.

If, like me, you have all twelve volumes of ‘History’ as first editions in the ‘classic’ bindings, getting this matching Index really is a no-brainer. The ‘Print on Demand’ books are made by Martins The Printers Ltd, and I can confirm that in every respect the book is just like one of the other volumes as originally printed.

True, the History of Middle-earth Index is quite possibly the dullest book ever published - consisting almost entirely of a list of funny names with a bunch of numbers next to each, but for the ardent Tolkien enthusiast this really is like a piece in a jigsaw that’s been missing for years and suddenly turns up when you least expect it.