From quiet beginnings in the Shire , a Hobbit land not unlike the English countryside, the story ranges across north-west Middle-earth, following the course of the War of the Ring through the eyes of its characters, notably the hobbits Frodo Baggins , Samwise "Sam" Gamgee , Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck and Peregrin "Pippin" Took , but also the hobbits' chief allies and travelling companions: Aragorn , a Human Ranger ; Boromir , a man from Gondor ; Gimli , a Dwarf warrior; Legolas , an Elven prince; and Gandalf , a Wizard.