[Rarebooks] FS: The Lord of the Rings, 1st editions

[Michael John Thompson]

We can offer:

TOLKIEN, J.R.R. [John Ronald Reuel].

THE LORD OF THE RINGS comprising THE FELLOWSHIP 
OF THE RING [with] THE TWO TOWERS [with] THE 
RETURN OF THE KING. Three Volumes. First Editions.

London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. 1954-55. First 
Edition, Second Impression of Volume One, First 
Edition, First Impressions of Volumes 2 & 3, 
Volume 3 being in the first state of the first 
edition. Three volumes, comprising 'The 
Fellowship of the Ring', 'The Two Towers' and 
'The Return of the King'. Octavo, original red 
cloth stamped in gold on spine panels, top edges 
stained red, folding maps at rear of each volume. 
423 + 352 + 416 pp. 2,500 copies of FELLOWSHIP 
were printed, 3,250 copies of THE TWO TOWERS, and 
7,000 copies of THE RETURN OF THE KING (but this 
was spread out over several issues, of which we 
have the first). Condition is overall GOOD - Vol 
1 is slightly cocked, the spine panel a bit 
faded, worn at head & heel and with a long split 
to the cloth along the outer rear spine hinge. 
Volume 2 has just trifling wear at extremities, 
very slight cocking to the spine and faded red 
top page edges; Volume 3 has some staining to the 
spine, faded top page edges and slight spine 
lean. All volumes have slightly browned 
endpapers, and are nearly fine internally. A good, sound set.

¶ The First Edition of the last classic. THE 
FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS, originally issued in 
July, 1954, is present here in the second 
impression of December 1954, THE TWO TOWERS is 
the correct 1st printing, and THE RETURN OF THE 
KING is the correct first printing, first state, 
with undamaged text and no signature mark '4' on 
p. 49 There is also a variant in the last line of 
page 281, of which this is the version with Men 
spelled with no gap in the letters. In "J.R.R. 
Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography" (1993), 
Wayne Hammond states that this variant of page 49 
is the latest issue, but this statement was based 
on the assumption that the damaged text would 
have been picked up by the printers and 
corrected. This was not the case - all later 
impressions included the damaged text, although 
the signature mark was removed after the second 
impression. Hammond noted this misinterpretation 
in Issue 11 of 'The Tolkien Collector'.

$2,500.00 Cdn; post extra at cost, trade discount allowed.

http://www.thompsonrarebooks.com/shop/thompson/309191.html



---
Michael John Thompson, Antiquarian Bookseller
Imladris House
5275 Jerow Road
Hornby Island, BC
Canada V0R 1Z0
Ph:  250-335-1182
Fax: 250-335-2241

http://www.ThompsonRareBooks.com
http://www.BeltaneBooks.com
http://www.Mjtbooks.com