Tolkien: Two Towers?

[toadspittle]

To which Two Towers is he referring? I count a whole bunch, and three that seem fairly crucial.

Barad Dur (Sauron)
Orthanc (Saruman)
Minas Tirith (Gondor)

You could also throw in Minas Morgul, etc., but that's clearly a minor player.

So which two?

[Johanna]

Minas Tirith and Barad-Dûr. Facing off against one another. Orthanc was a sideshow.

[Johanna]

Whoops, I blew it, sorry <sheepish look on red face>. Shouldn't have been in such a hurry to post the first response.

On second thought, Minas Tirith wasn't introduced into the narrative until Book Five in The Return of the King. The two towers that figured large in The Two Towers were indeed Orthanc and Barad-Dûr.

[toadspittle]

Just re-read the end note of "Fellowship..."

JRR says it's Orthanc and Minas Morgul. I guess he'd know.

So then I guess "Return of the King" should really be called "Two More Towers" (Barad-dur and Minas Tirith).

All in all, Two Many Towers.

[Dinsdale]

Glad we helped you out there, toad.
It makes a little more sense if you think about how the book is structured. The first half is pretty heavy on Orthanc, and the second part ends with Frodo et al having just passed Minas Morgul.
I often thought, however, that Minas Morgul was inadequately developed in the books. And Barad-dur is not really developed at all. I have a very vague mental image of both places.

[tourbot]

I always thought it was Minas Tirith and Minas Morgul, but it looks like Tokien himself wasn't so sure, as you can see
here. (http://www.users.cts.com/king/e/erikt/tolkien/2towers.htm)

[Johanna]

Many thanks are due thee, fair tourbot; this should settle toad's question to everyone's satisfaction. You can pretty much name any two towers and you'll have as good a chance as anyone else of being right.

[sqweels]

The link is correct. The Tower of Orthanc, from which Saruman directed the events of Book 3, and the Tower of Cirith Ungol ("Pass of the Spider") where Frodo wound up imprisoned at the end of Book 4.

[toadspittle]

excellent link, tourbot, Thanks.