Books about Historical European Runes:

The following books contain information about and examples of Historical European Runes (primarily Germanic and Anglo-Saxon). These authors generally avoid the subject of Runic Mysticism, Divination, or Spiritualism. These books are probably available through your local public library or your local bookstore. You can also order them online at: www.amazon.com.

Runes (Reading the Past, Vol 4) by Raymond Ian Page / ISBN: 0520061144
An excellent reference book about Runes based on the archaeological record and historical fact. It chronicles the development of the Runic alphabet in central Europe and it's eventual use throughout Northern Europe, Western Europe, the British Isles and even North America. Contains over forty diagrams, maps, and photos. Author Raymond Ian Page is a former Professor of Anglo-Saxon in the University of Cambridge.

An Introduction to English Runes by Raymond Ian Page / ISBN: 085115946X
An extensive reference documenting the development of runes as a practical script in early English times, among both Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. Scholarly yet readable, it examines the introduction of the runic alphabet (the futhorc) to England in the fifth and sixth centuries, the forms and values of its letters, and the ways in which it developed, up until its decline at the end of the Anglo-Saxon period. It discusses how runes were used for informal and day-to-day purposes, on formal monuments, such as decorative letters in prestigious manuscripts.

The Hobbit (Paperback Edition) by J.R.R. Tolkien / ISBN: 0618002219
This is the Novel that originally got me interested in Historical European Runes. It contains a preface that describes in detail the Anglo-Saxon Runic alphabet used by Tolkien.

The Hobbit (Leatherette Collector's Edition) by J.R.R. Tolkien / ISBN: 0395177111
A classy, leather-bound, hardcover edition of the Hobbit that every Tolkin fan should have.

The Hobbit (Illustrated) by J.R.R. Tolkien / ISBN: 0261102664
Introduce your young children to the Hobbit with this richly illustrated edition.

Many other books about Runes also exist. You can view some of them at www.amazon.com by clicking one the 'Search' box below:

Daniel Steven Smith