being The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings being The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The Return of the King
Allen & Unwin, 1954.
Three volumes, all first editions. Each volume in original red cloth with gilt titles on the spine in original grey dustwrappers printed in red and black. Return of the King in Hammond's second variant with 'sagging' text on p.49. Fold out maps to the rear of each volume, printed in red and black, drawn by Christopher Tolkien. A fine set in fine dustwrappers, unusually bright and crisp with just a hint of dustiness to the spines and a little foxing to the fore-edges. The red lettering to the spine, which is prone to fade, is bright and the jackets are free from any meaningful wear. Discrete ownership name to the front endpaper of volume one. An exceptional set.
Tolkien's epic work of fantasy, which began life to as a sequel The Hobbit, but grew in scope and volume as Tolkien worked on it in stages between 1937 and 1949. Initial reviews were mixed, some thinking the narrative confused by Tolkien's use of language and detail, others thought it profound. W.H.Auden, a former pupil of Tolkien's, described it in a review as "a masterpiece", whilst the NY Herald Tribune was perhaps the most prescient, stating that it was "destined to outlast our time". Its reception amongst readers was swift and unequivocal and currently ranks amongst the highest selling books of any genre.
Such success was not anticipated by its publishers, who issued only 3000 copies of the first volume. Further the pale background to the jackets mean that surviving copies are often tanned or badly worn. Copies in such uniformly excellent condition are seldom seen in commerce.
Stock ID: 41755
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