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"The Two Towers," the second book of J.R.R. Tolkien's three volume epic, "The Lord of the Rings," continues the story of Frodo Baggins - the brave and gentle hobbit upon whom the fate of Middle-earth depends. We pick up where "The Fellowship of the Ring" left off: with Frodo alone responsible for ridding the world of the dangerous ring he inherited from his cousin Bilbo - a ring for which Sauron, the Dark Lord, is relentlessly searching. The first part of "The Two Towers" traces the deeds and perils of each member of the Fellowship after Frodo has gone his own way - From Pippin and Merry's kidnapping by Orcs to the adventures of the noble Aragorn and the wizard Gandalf, which bring them to Orthanc, the indomitable tower of the greedy Saruman.

The book's second part follows Frodo's terror-fraught travels through the hills of Emyn Muil and the Dead Marshes to Mordor, Sauron's hellish stronghold, where Frodo must try to destroy his burden at last. On the journey he is accompanied by is intrepid servant Sam, and he seemingly tames the slithery, unscrupulous spy-turned-guide Gollum. Approaching the Dark Lord's realm, things look less gloomy as he briefly joins forces with the Men of Gondor and learns of a secret passage into Mordor. But Frodo enters what he hopes will be the last phase of his odyssey only to be attacked by the voracious giant spider, Shelob; he loses the ring, and is captured by the enemy - just as the looming war between good and evil, a long-expected contest of epic proportions, is beginning. "The Two Towers" is the stuff not only of classic myth, but also of modern fairy tale - delivering the profound impact of both. As the "Times Literary Supplement" wrote after the book was fist published in England in 1954, "Such a timeless story must be told in timeless prose. Dr. Tolkien manages this feat very well.... Even a single read will not be quickly forgotten."