Three new behind the scenes books shine a light on The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug for the inquisitive reader.

While opinions may remain divided over The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, there is no questioning the amount of effort that has gone into this film. These three behind-the-scenes books each take a different perspective as they examine various elements of the newest Hobbit film.

If you are having trouble thinking of a Christmas present for your fellow Tolkien geek or movie buff, look no further than these new books. Or, you could always just buy them for yourself.

‘The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug Visual Companion’

Jude Fisher’s Visual Companion is the most basic of the three books, although that does not make it less enjoyable. Fisher is concerned with expanding on what audiences have seen in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug movie, rather than what was happening behind the scenes (although there is some extra insight in the introduction written by Richard Armitage, who portrays Thorin).

As such, the book is primarily concerned with providing expanded character profiles of the original characters (Bilbo and the dwarves), new characters such as the Necromancer and Beorn, and insight into the new locations seen in the second film, including Mirkwood and Lake-Town. Each profile is accompanied by wonderful photos (it is a “visual” companion, after all), and the book has an extremely high production value.

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug Visual Companion by Jude Fisher was released on November 7, 2013.

‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Official Movie Guide’

The Official Movie Guide is the companion book closest to the excellent special features that feature on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit DVDs. Author Brian Sibley has written accompanying books for films including The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Golden Compass, and brings his well-honed style to this new volume.

The book is broken down into short sections which feature profiles of both the cast and the crew, told in anecdotal style. If you want to know how they go about making thousands of elf ears, audition stories from the new cast members, or how Benedict Cumberbatch filmed his scenes as Smaug, this is the book for you.

The gorgeous layout only adds to the reading experience, as does the inclusion of many glossy on set photos. Additionally, the book kicks off with Sibley’s description of the world premiere for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and although it supposedly focused on the second film in the trilogy, there is plenty of crossover between the two films for the interested reader.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Official Movie Guide by Brian Sibley was released on November 7, 2013.

‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Chronicles: Art & Design’

The stand out of these three books is (naturally) the Art and Design book. This is the third chronicle from the Weta production team, following The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Art and Design and Creatures and Characters chronicles.

Written by Daniel Falconer, with a foreword by Set Decorator Ra Vincent and an introduction by Concept Art Director Alan Lee, this volume places the concept artwork behind The Hobbit front and centre. The book is divided into 11 sections, each relating to The Desolation of Smaug, and each section features an abundance of the artwork that helped to create the visual style for the film.

From sets to costumes and props, almost every element of the films we watch came from the artists celebrated here. However, perhaps the most rewarding aspect is the written commentary offered by those same artists. In particular, John Howe and Alan Lee (arguably the two most important Tolkien artists ever) offer insight that is not available anywhere else.

This makes this book much more than a coffee table volume with some pretty pictures. The team at Weta have managed to convey the level of effort and enthusiasm that went into making every single decision, and have produced a glorious volume in the process.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Chronicles: Art & Design by Daniel Falconer was released on December 13, 2013.