The Atlas of Middle-earth is a superior cartographic reference book for Tolkien's writings, i.e. The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings, and includes many detailed maps of the lands described in them. The maps are treated as if they are of real landscapes, drawn according to the rules of a real atlas for each area the history of the land is taken into account, as well as geography on a larger scale and from there maps are drawn. Discussion includes suggestions as to the geology that could explain various formations, and points that are contradictory between multiple accounts.