I just came across a very good series of articles about the history of Tolkien RPGs from John D. Rateliff - a former employee of TSR, Wizards of the Coast and Decipher Inc.

It's a really interesting read and includes many things that I wasn't aware of (such as both TSR and WotC going for the license at various points). Anyone who is interested in the history of RPGs and/or the Tolkien license in gaming will find it well worth the read.

Check it out at Sacnoth's Scriptorium