The names are colorful and rich: Anduril, Flame of the West! The swords Sting, Glamdring, and Guthwine. Durin's Axe. The infamous Grond, Hammer of the Underworld! The weapons of Middle-earth are not just tools for the practice of war, but form entire backstories and histories unto themselves. Some seem nearly animate, glowing and singing as they perform their work, or spreading rumors of evil and dismay. To set the stage for the battles both large and small in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King we take a look at the weapons and warfare that the Fellowship will encounter as they seek to rid Middle-earth of the menace of Sauron. From the Pelennor Fields to the Tower of Cirith Ungol, much will be decided by force of arms and the character of those that wield them. The above is an except from THE LORD OF THE RINGS: WEAPONS AND WARFARE book by Chris Smith, available from Houghton Mifflin (USA) and HarperCollins Publishers (international)