Other editions of book The Return of the King

The Return of the King, being the third and final part of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy - The Lord of the Rings - which came out on October 20, 1955. The story begins as Pippin is in Rohan, reunited with the remnants of the Fellowship of the Ring. He steals Saruman's Palantír and sees that Sauron will attack Minas Tirith. Then Gandalf delivers news to the steward of Gondor that war is imminent. Gandalf brings Pippin with him, who enters the service of the steward. Aragorn by his courage and leadership proves himself a worthy ruler of men. He is destined to find a lost army of men now dead yet entrapped in a curse set forth long ago by their own disobedience, in the place known as the paths of the dead. The remnants of the Fellowship lead the forces of Gondor and Rohan in defence of Gondor's capital city, Minas Tirith, resulting in the cataclysmic Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Those characters that manage to survive the battle are led by Aragorn on a assuredly suicidal feint-attack against the Black Gates of Mordor, partly to distract Sauron from defending his other borders so that Frodo and Sam can gain a clear passage into Mordor. Aragorn's company now surrounds the Black Gates of the Morannon exchanging idle words with the Mouth of Sauron.