Books

UK: George Allen & Unwin, 1955. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien First Edition George Allen & Unwin Ltd 1955. Contemporary inscription inked to ffep which also has some offsetting and light foxing to ep's (only). Contents are unblemished throughout. Foldout map still present and without fault. Original publisher's cloth covers are unmarked and have no fading or toning to spine. In original VG dust jacket which has a little wear to edges. Not price clipped.

The Return of the King is the third and final part of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. In this compelling conclusion, the narrative follows Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli, and the rest of the company as they prepare for the final battle for Middle-earth. The fate of the One Ring is decided and the true king is set to reclaim his throne. Rich in mythology and bursting with heroic battles, Tolkien's masterpiece brings to a close the tales of Hobbits, Elves, Men, and Orcs, as described in the widely acclaimed first edition.

The primary method to authenticate first editions of The Lord of the Rings involves inspecting the publication details within each volume. Look for the publisher's name, typically stated as "George Allen & Unwin Ltd," on the title page. Verify the dates on the back of the title page, it should display 1955, without any subsequent dates. A common query we encounter concerns editions where later books in the series are listed on the dust jacket. This situation often prompts the question, "Can it still be a first edition?" For many books—such as James Bond novels or the Harry Potter series—it's crucial to ensure that the dust jacket or the author's list of works doesn't mention books published afterward, as this would indicate that your copy isn't a first edition. However, The Lord of the Rings deviates significantly from this standard. As the series was originally conceived as a single lengthy book and divided into three due to financial considerations, the publishers anticipated subsequent releases and utilized the dust jacket flaps to advertise them.