Throughout the late Second Age, the Numenorians were total shits to the peoples south-east of Gondor. The enslaved them, sacrificed them as tribute, and generally fucked them over. Is it any surprise that Sauron the Powerful was able to rally them against Gondor, the descendants of the evil men who had persecuted them for so long?

We view Sauron as evil, and such he was, for in time he would have brought even his allies under his iron hand, but from the perspective of the Easterlings, he was a liberating force. I wonder how Sauron approached the Easterlings, and how his power was manifest in their realms. Was Sauron benevolent among them? Did he bring aid in their times of need?

‘But the wearing is slow in Lorien,’ said Frodo. ‘The power of the Lady is on it. Rich are the hours, though short they seem, in Caras Galadhon, where Galadriel wields the Elvenring.’

That should not have been said outside Lorien, not even to me,’ said Aragorn.

The ownership of the Three appears to be such a serious secret that Aragorn scolds Frodo for even mentioning it within the Fellowship. But a few chapters later, Gandalf starts singing in public:

In Dwimordene, in Lorien
Seldom have walked the feet of Men,
Few mortal eyes have seen the light
That lies there ever, long and bright.
Galadriel! Galadriel!
Clear is the water of your well;
White is the star in your white hand;

Now your average Edoras guard isn't going to get the reference, but Wormtongue might report it to Saruman who could pass it on to Sauron. As a ring owner himself, shouldn't Gandalf be a little more discreet instead of writing lyrics about it?

In the LotR appendix "Eriador, Arnor, and the heirs of Isildur" it is said that, "‘For a while Arvedui hid in the tunnels of the old dwarf-mines near the far end of the Mountains."

Were these the ruins of Belegost or Nogrod?

Faramir met Aragorn in the midst of those there assembled, and he knelt, and said: ‘The last Steward of Gondor begs leave to surrender his office.’ And he held out a white rod; but Aragorn took the rod and gave it back, saying: ‘That office is not ended, and it shall be thine and thy heirs’ as long as my line shall last. Do now thy office!’

This fuckin book. Catches you up when you least expect it

And by the time I got to Aragorn announcing Beregrond’s doom, it was full on waterfalls