<Tr> <Th> Preceded by </Th> <Td> The Hobbit </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Followed by </Th> <Td> The Two Towers </Td> </Tr> <P> The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J.R.R. Tolkien . It is followed by The Two Towers and The Return of the King . It takes place in the fictional universe of Middle - earth . It was originally published on 29 July 1954 in the United Kingdom . </P> <P> The volume consists of a foreword, in which the author discusses his writing of The Lord of the Rings, a prologue titled "Concerning Hobbits, and other matters", and the main narrative in Book I and Book II . </P>

When was the fellowship of the ring published