Books

THE LORD OF THE RINGS, comprising: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING; THE TWO TOWERS; THE RETURN OF THE KING (3 VOLS), by J R R Tolkien, pub by George Allen and Unwin Ltd, London, 1963 / 63 / 62, First Edition, 13th, 10th, 9th impressions. This is a nice set of the highly sought-after fantasy classic in the first edition format, including the iconic "eye in the ring" motif, with a few faults so hence a more affordable price. These are the 13th / 10th / 9th impressions, dating 1963 / 1963 / 1962. The books are sharp cornered, have extremely bright clean gilt, do not have inscriptions and are good solid bindings. There is a damp mark to the top of The Fellowship of the Ring's boards (see pics), and discoloration to the rear panel of the Return of the King, with a similar patch on the board. The bindings, are tight and clean, and the pages excellent. The maps are extremely clean and bright, with no sign of handling. The classic grey dustwrappers are not price clipped, each showing a 21s price. All wrappers have some yellowing / sunning to spines, and some chipping as per pictures, with minor occasional marks. The Two Towers also has minor loss half way down the spine on the wrapper and a very small hole in the spine below the subtitle "being the third part of The Lord of the Rings". Internally, these lovely volumes are all very clean with no inscriptions. In all, these books present very well indeed. This is a collectable clean copy of the 1st ed format in original unclipped wrappers. In all, a nice set at a decent price. A note about this edition: The value of the later printings in first edition format have steadily risen over the last decade as the contribution of Tolkien to culture and the scale of his achievement has been recognised. His work continues to inspire new generations of fantasy readers and watchers, and his books show no sign of dropping in people's estimations and continuing to climb in value.

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J.R.R. Tolkien. It is followed by The Two Towers and The Return of the King. The story begins with the discovery of the One Ring, which had been lost for centuries, and follows a group of heroes who set out on a quest to destroy it and prevent the dark lord Sauron from fulfilling his malevolent designs.