During which year are the Lord of the Rings books set?

Question: During which year are the Lord of the Rings books set!?

While reading The Hobbit, I noticed that Tolkien hasn't given any year in which the book was set!. Was it set in the year in which it was published, I mean in the 30's/40's!?
Please help :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Tolkien didn't put a chronological setting into the books because they were not part of OUR world!. The age they take place in is part of Middle Earth!.!.!.sort of like an alternate earth!.!.!.not one we can, or should, equate with any historical or modern age of our own!.
You could sort of equate it with WW II!.!.!.!.in a very loose way!. If you look at the books as a repudiation of the Nazi mindset, and a moral lesson on the worth of good, and its tribulations against evil, as many literary critics have done, you wouldn't be wrong!.
However, there is so much more!. The books go so much deeper into sociological/psychological/mythological/!.!.!. issues that to limit their scope to one comparison is to do them a great injustice!.
These books, aside of being entertaining, are a master life work by an incomparable author!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Their times' are different from ours!. They do use months and weekdays like us, but the years are different!. I believe that it was near the 1400s' in Lord of the Rings, they were ending the 1300s'!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Its meant to be timeless!. And since the Hobbits and other character live in another world I am pretty sure that they do not keep time as we do!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Look in the back of the "Return of the King" book, which has dates for everything!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Its set way way way early like 10 000 Bc or something!. He doesnt give a year in any of the books!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's set in some mythical past, like thousands of years ago I think =]Www@QuestionHome@Com

2nd age of Middle Earth, a fictional time & placeWww@QuestionHome@Com