Hobbit by Tolkein, Unwin 1937 (43 results)

Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. This sumptuous gift set includes a replica of the very rare first edition of The Hobbit, the only edition where one can now read the original version of the story before Tolkien re-edited it to become the one enjoyed by readers since 1951. The Hobbit was published on 21 September 1937, with a print run of 1,500 copies. With a beautiful cover design, nearly a dozen black & white illustrations and two black & red maps by the author himself, the book proved to be popular and was reprinted shortly afterwards. History was already being made.The scarcity of the first edition has resulted in copies commanding huge prices, way beyond the reach of most Tolkien fans. In addition, subsequent changes to the text particularly those to chapter 5, when Tolkien decided in 1947 to revise the text to bring it better into accord with events as they were developing in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings - mean that the opportunity to read the book in its original form and format has become quite difficult.This special printing reprints the first edition, so that readers of all ages not just children between the ages of 5 and 9, as Rayner Unwin famously declared in his report on the original submission can finally enjoy Tolkiens story as it originally appeared. This sumptuous gift set includes a replica of the very rare first edition of The Hobbit, the only edition where one can now read the original version of the story before Tolkien re-edited it to become the one enjoyed by readers since 1951. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. 3rd Edition. London. George Allen & Unwin Ltd. 1974. Nineteenth impression of third edition. Originally published in 1937. Soft Covers. Standard paperback size. 279 pp. Card covers with the author's artwork (early sketch). Corners are sharp; spine only very slightly creased. In much better condition than would be expected for age. Edges of text block are toned. Facsimile signature of the author to the title page. Author's map in the prelims. In very good plus condition. The Hobbit is set in Middle-earth and follows home-loving Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit of the title, who joins the wizard Gandalf and the thirteen dwarves of Thorin's Company, on a quest to reclaim the dwarves' home and treasure from the dragon Smaug. Bilbo's journey takes him from his peaceful rural surroundings into more sinister territory. The covers will be protected with a new inert archival 100 micron sleeve which is removable. Please contact us if you would like any more information or additional images. Postage price quoted outside the UK is for a book up to 1kg using UPS or Transglobal Express. For books sent within the UK, there will be no extra charge for books up to 2kg which are sent by Royal Mail. Postage quoted in the UK is the actual cost (£3.45). All books are sent in protective packing and custom book box. If your book is intended as a gift, please let us know and we will gift wrap it free of charge with a card and any message.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. J. R. R. Tolkien (illustrator). 5th or later Edition. Fourth impression of the 1995 reset edition, with the number string: 5 7 9 8 6 4 on the printer's page. This edition was newly reset, based on the third edition of 1966, but with further corrections of misprints and errors. Dustwrapper, endpapers and illustrations including five full-page colour illustrations by J. R. R. Tolkien. ***Very good in green cloth-covered boards with gilt titles to the spine. Head and tail of spine and bottom corners slightly creased. There is a vertical reading crease to the spine, but the spine is tight. Edges of page block tanned but clean, without any foxing. Internally also very good with no inscriptions, but with a small black felt-tip mark on the half-title page. Please note that there is also some light creasing to some of the pages, mainly at the top corners, and a few of the top corner tips of the pages have been folded as place marks. Map-illustrated front and rear endpapers by J. R. R. Tolkien. Line illustrations within the text, and five full-colour plates by J. R. R. Tolkien. Pages clean. but the paper stock has tanned due to the cheap paper stock used. ***In a very good unpriced wraparound colour-illustrated dustwrapper. The dustwrapper is virtually complete, but with slight loss at the top of the spine and foldover corner tips. Extremities of dustwrapper slightly creased and rubbed. No major creases or tears. Just the slightest hint of fading to the spine colours. Dustwrapper clean and bright. ***224mm x140mm. 273 pages. ***'"The Hobbit" was first published in September 1937. Its 1951 second edition (fifth impression) contains a significantly revised portion of Chapter V, Riddles in the Dark, which was done in order to bring the storyline of "The Hobbit" more in line with its sequel, "The Lord of the Rings", then in progress. Tolkien made some further revisions to the American edition published by Ballantine Books in February 1966, and to the British edition published by George Allen & Unwin in paperback later that same year. This newly reset editionis based on the third edition of 1966, but also contains a number of further corrections of misprints and errors. It represents as closely as is possible Tolkien's final intended form. (Quote taken from a Note on the Text) ***'A finely written saga of dwarves and elves, fearsome goblins and trolls --- an exciting epic of travel and magical adventure, all working up to a devastating climax.' - The Observer (Quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper) ***A fourth impression of the 1995 reset and corrected edition, published by HarperCollins Publishers, in the beautiful wraparound colour-illustrated dustwrapper. A nice hardback reading copy. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.

Hardcover. Condition: new. Hardcover. This sumptuous gift set includes a replica of the very rare first edition of The Hobbit, the only edition where one can now read the original version of the story before Tolkien re-edited it to become the one enjoyed by readers since 1951. The Hobbit was published on 21 September 1937, with a print run of 1,500 copies. With a beautiful cover design, nearly a dozen black & white illustrations and two black & red maps by the author himself, the book proved to be popular and was reprinted shortly afterwards. History was already being made.The scarcity of the first edition has resulted in copies commanding huge prices, way beyond the reach of most Tolkien fans. In addition, subsequent changes to the text - particularly those to chapter 5, when Tolkien decided in 1947 to revise the text to bring it better into accord with events as they were developing in its `sequel', The Lord of the Rings - mean that the opportunity to read the book in its original form and format has become quite difficult.This special commemorative gift set includes the first edition, so that readers of all ages - not just `children between the ages of 5 and 9', as Rayner Unwin famously declared in his report on the original submission - can finally enjoy Tolkien's story as it originally appeared. It also includes an exclusive CD of archive recordings that capture Tolkien reading from The Hobbit, a special copy of Thror's map which reveals the secret moon-runes when held to the light, and an accompanying booklet that relates the history of The Hobbit, and includes connected writings by JRR Tolkien. This sumptuous gift set includes a replica of the very rare first edition of The Hobbit, the only edition where one can now read the original version of the story before Tolkien re-edited it to become the one enjoyed by readers since 1951. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good Plus. The Author (illustrator). Fourth Edition. LONDON : 1979. FOURTH EDITION; 2nd impression. First published in 1937; Second Edition 1951, Third Edition 1966, and Fourth Edition 1978. Hardback. Green cloth; gilt lettered spine. In pictorial jacket (price-clipped). Map end-papers. Five colour plates and b&w illustrations by Tolkien. Bright, tight and clean. Minor wear only. No owner name or internal markings. VERY GOOD INDEED in like jacket; now in a clear protective sleeve. **Will be well-packed for posting/shipping **. 8vo. [ Rosley Books for Antiquarian books, Literature, Theology and Church History. ].

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. This book is in very good condition. There are no signatures, bookplates,or markings of any kind. There is some wear to the front hinge. This book contains all its original color illustrations from the film by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, with none missing or removed. This is a First Edition with, published by Harry Abrams in 1977. The book comes with it Rare Original Dust Jacket. The Jacket is in very good condition with some light rubbing. A rare copy of Tolkien's classic work.

No Binding. Condition: Not a Book. Custom Clamshell Case (Book not included). No Binding. First Edition Clamshell Case. Superb Custom Fitted Modern Collector's Clamshell Bookcase [Not A Book] HAND-CRAFTED by our conservation team, each box is Gilt-stamped at the spine, & features a blind embossed [sculpted] THE HOBBIT 'Mountains and Dragon' design, raised across three panels with GILT stamping inspired by the first edition outstanding graphic cover & is finished inside & out in elegant Black Nuba®, a fine, supple & durable covering with a neutral ph that has the feel of velvety soft Italian Nubuck® leather and Hand crafted marble paper sides. This clamshell is perfectly sized to accommodate your first edition. A Terrific Collector's Custom Case for an important Book. TBCL Web Site photo/link available for over a hundred cornerstone generally in-stock titles. Custom Craft available. Book definitely NOT included. Custom Clamshell Case (Book not included).

No Binding. Condition: Not a Book. Custom Clamshell Case (Book not included). No Binding. First Edition Clamshell Case. Superb Custom Fitted Modern Collector's Clamshell Bookcase [Not A Book] HAND-CRAFTED by our conservation team, each box is Gilt-stamped at the spine, & features a blind embossed [sculpted] THE HOBBIT 'Mountains and Dragon' design, raised across three panels with GILT stamping inspired by the first edition outstanding graphic cover & is finished inside & out in elegant GREEN. This clamshell is perfectly sized to accommodate your first edition. "Books definitely NOT included" When you place your order: Please confirm the actual size of your first edition as sizes may vary with age or if the edition is covered in Mylar. The text can be altered to add "signed" or other special requests. A Terrific Collector's Custom Case for an important Book. TBCL Web Site photo/link available for over a hundred cornerstone generally in-stock titles. Custom Craft available. Book definitely NOT included. Custom Clamshell Case (Book not included).

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. J.R.R. Tolkien (illustrator). 1st Edition (Thus). Please email for Photographs or further information. Very Good - In original publishers box; book in fine condition. Box has some minor wear and tear. Please see photos as part of condition report 1979 1st Edition (Thus) 2nd Printing, Deluxe THE HOBBIT By J.R.R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE FRSL (3 January 1892 ? 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon and a Fellow of Pembroke College, both at the University of Oxford. He then moved within the same university to become the Merton Professor of English Language and Literature and Fellow of Merton College, and held these positions from 1945 until his retirement in 1959. Tolkien was a close friend of C. S. Lewis, a co-member of the informal literary discussion group The Inklings. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II on 28 March 1972. Illustrated By: J.R.R. Tolkien Format: Hardcover, Language: English Dust Jacket: No Jacket, Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket Published By: George Allen & Unwin, London octavo (8vo 6 × 9 152 × 229),Pages 286 ISBN: The Hobbit, or There and Back Again is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the New York Herald Tribune for best juvenile fiction. The book is recognized as a classic in children's literature, and is one of the best-selling books of all time with over 100 million copies sold. SKU: BTETM0002336 Approximate Package Dimensions H: 12.5, L: 30, W: 25 (Units: cm), W: 2Kg.

Second edition, fifth impression (eleventh overall), 8vo, pp. 315, [1] + frontispiece. Original green cloth blocked in black, map endpapers. Some spotting, predominantly to textblock edge. Spine somewhat sunned. A reprint matching the appearance of the 1937 first edition.

Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Facsimile Dustjacket. JRR TOLKIEN (illustrator). Third Edition and Seventh Impression. BONUS ITEM: Photocopy of J.R.R. Tolkien's Last Will & Testament [he was worth a small fortune!], which consists of 6 pages and it bears the signature of Tolkien several times.- Within the book: The publication details are pasted over with a photocopied signature of J.R.R. Tolkien - [there is a picture of the before and after] - The Hobbit is the first published tale of Middle Earth and its vast substrata of created mythology. The events of this story are rooted in an extended history of Bilbo Baggins' world, which was later developed in: The Lord of the Rings trilogy. - Condition and Description: A newly printed facsimile dustjacket that was originally designed by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1937, houses this book. It retains the price of 7s. 6d. net to the inner prelim. Reproduced from the first edition, first impression - printing which had the original error to the rear inner flap which reads the name 'Dodgeson', whereas, later printings had this corrected to read: 'Dodgson'. Enclosed in a durable plastic, archival sleeve. - Publisher's green cloth with titles and designs by the author in black. The spine colour has faded in relation to the boards front and back which have retained the colour green. Little bumped to corners, all housed beneath the amazing facsimile dustjacket. 317 pages are for the majority clean and tightly bound. There are a couple of marks to pages 270/271 [picture shows these marks]. There are 14 illustrations which includes the inner front and rear boards. All present and in good order. - A real gem in the literary world.- Our orders are shipped within 1 or 2 business days.

George Allen & Unwin. 1959. Eleventh impression of first edition. Originally published in 1937. Hardback. No DW. 315pp. Maps to endpapers, coloured frontis. + b/w plates and illustrations in text, all by Tolkien. Original decorated green cloth, faded to spine and over half of lower board, margins of upper board also faded. Spine very lightly knocked. Endpapers and edges lightly foxed, top corner of front free endpaper creased. Generally a clean and sound copy of an early edition.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. J.R.R. Tolkien (illustrator). 2nd Edition. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. A Very Good copy of an extremely scarce early Hobbit. The 1958 printing, of the 2nd Edition (1951), or the 10th printing overall (1937). This copy is a stated 10th impression from the dustjacket, published by Houghton Mifflin from sheets imported from Great Britain. From the identification key by Steven Frisby, this stated 10th impression, is indeed the 10th impression. The Very Good only dustjacket is not priced or clipped, noted as printed in Great Britain. One of probably only 1000 imported from Allen & Unwin, lacking the printing history on title verso, to help them circumvent the import restrictions and US copyright laws. The book features the original dustjacket with the Mountains and Dragon design by the author. The dustjackets has numerous tears, a large mostly closed tear to the top of the back panel being the worst. There is a bit of loss to the top of the spine and the lower 1/4 inch is missing, some loss at the tips of the flap folds. White the flap folds are showing the crease with some color loss. The boards show minor soiling and marking, with a little shelfwear noted. The text block is clean, with some scattered foxing, previous owners name, to front free endpaper (map) and first blank page. No bumped corners, lightly soiled boards. The dustjacket is not price clipped and has no price markings. A collectable clean copy, one of the only issues with the pale green boards stamped in blue. Contains the full color frontispiece "The Hill: Hobbiton-across-the Water", as well as the original line drawings by Tolkien. The maps are in excellent condition, with the red and black ink still showing clear and bright against the endpapers. Both maps have some foxing, along with the previous owners name and date. A highly collectable copy, hard to find in it's original dustjacket. Very Good / Very Good.

Soft Cover. Condition: Good. Tradução de Maria Isabel Braga e Mário Braga. Ilustrações de António Quadros. Livraria Civilização Editora. Porto. 1962. De 22x16 cm. Com 376, [iii] págs. Encadernação do editor cartonada. Obra ilustrada com 20 gravuras de António Quadros de página inteira, intercaladas ao longo do texto; e capitulares decorativas no início de cada capítulo. A encadernação editorial com um arranjo gráfico colorido do mesmo artista. As folhas de guarda decorativas estão ilustradas com o mapa de Thror, ou Terra Média, com a grande Montanha Solitária, onde está representado o Dragão, o Grande Rio da Floresta onde se situa a cidade dos Elfos, e a Leste a floresta de Mirkwood com as aranhas. Á esquerda e à direita do mapa existem textos nas linguagens rúnicas dos elfos e dos anões inventadas por Tolkien. No anterrosto o editor informa que esta obra (título da obra original em inglês The Hobbit) foi impressa em Portugal pela Companhia Editora do Minho, em Barcelos, em 1962, numa edição autorizada por George Allen & Unwin LTD. de Londres, para Portugal Continental e Ultramarino. Romance de alta fantasia escrito pelo filólogo e professor britânico J. R. R. Tolkien. Situado no mundo ficcional da Terra Média, o hobbit (gnomo) Bilbo Baggins Freeman, é chamado pelo mago Gandalf, para acompanhar treze anões (dwarves) liderados por Thorin numa missão até à Montanha Solitária, onde tentarão recuperar os pertences dos anões que foram roubados pelo dragão Smaug, num território bem mais sinistro que a sua alegre e jovial Hobbiton, e onde se cruzará com uma panóplia de criaturas fantásticas, e perigosas. Nesta aventura Bilbo encontra um Anel mágico que desencadeia a trilogia de O Senhor dos Anéis. É uma história de busca episódica onde a maioria dos capítulos apresenta uma criatura específica ou um tipo de criatura, das ?Terras Ermas? de Tolkien. É também uma aventura de crescimento pessoal, com diversas formas de heroísmo, que levaram os críticos a citar as próprias experiências de Tolkien durante a Primeira Guerra Mundial. O conhecimento académico do autor sobre literatura anglo-saxónica e seu interesse em contos de fadas também são indicados como influências. O Hobbit (Gnomo) é o ponto de partida para a criação de todo um universo complexo e com linguagens próprias inclusive, com diagramas, linhagens e arvores genealógicas, onde se vai desenrolar toda a obra vindoura de Tolkien e de onde se destaca sem sombra de dúvidas o ?Senhor dos Anéis? O mundo de Tolkien deu já origem a uma série de filmes de aventuras fantásticas, e o seu universo é recriado em alguns jogos, quer de computador ou consola, quer de tabuleiro ou ainda jogos de personagem (Roleplaying games). Dá origem a uma outra série de universos fantásticos, e a uma corrente de literatura fantástica medieval sem par. O Gnomo/The Hobbit foi a base de três filmes de fantasia épica e de aventura dirigidos e produzidos por Peter Jackson e baseados no livro de Tolkien. Os filmes são, por subtítulo: Uma Jornada Inesperada (2012), A Desolação de Smaug (2013) e A Batalha dos Cinco Exércitos (2014). John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892 - 1973) nasceu em Bloemfontein, na África do Sul, e faleceu em Bournemouth, em Inglaterra. Tolkien foi um dos mais ilustres professores especializado em linguas anglo-saxónicas, história e filologia medieval; membro da direcção do New English Dictionary (1918-1920); professor de Língua Inglesa na Universidade de Leeds, na cátedra Rawlinson & Bosworth, posto ligado à Faculdade Pembroke (em Oxford) (1920-1925); professor de anglo-saxão (inglês arcaico) em Oxford (1925-1945); e professor de Língua e Literatura Inglesa em Merton (1945-1959). Em 1915 recebeu, com honras, o diploma de licenciatura em Literatura em Língua Inglesa. A graduação e os méritos não o libertaram da convocatória militar e em 1916 foi chamado para a Primeira Guerra Mundial. Tolkien sobreviveu à Batalha do Somme onde morreram mais de meio milhão de combatentes. Depois da guerra dedicou-se ao trabalho académico tornando-se um grande e respeitado filólogo dando provas de um domínio excepcional do anglo-saxão e dos factos e princípios da gramática comparada das línguas germânicas. As suas especializações juntaram-se ao seu talento literário para estruturarem as histórias e a mitologia de uma idade medieval imaginária e fantástica. A ideia do seu primeiro grande sucesso O Hobbit surgiu em 1928. O manuscrito incompleto foi entregue a Susan Dagnall, aluna de Oxford, que trabalhava para a editora Allen & Unwin. O Hobbit foi lido por Rayner Unwin que tinha 10 anos de idade e era filho de Stanley Unwin, o fundador da editora. O rapaz ficou maravilhado com a história e Dagnall encorajou Tolkien para que terminasse a obra. Em 1937 é publicada a primeira edição de O Hobbit. O Hobbit e O Senhor dos Anéis são hoje considerados dos livros mais importantes escritos em língua inglesa no século XX. António Quadros (Viseu, 1933-Tondela, 1994). Frequentou a Escola de Belas-Artes de Lisboa, de onde se transferiu, em 1952, para a Escola de Belas Artes do Porto. Licenciou-se nesta Escola em 1961, tendo sido convidado para aí leccionar. Estudou Gravura e Pintura a Fresco na Escola de Belas-Artes de Paris, para o que teve o apoio da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (1958-1959). A sua obra pictórica foi influenciada por Marc Chagall (1887-1985) e Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). Nos anos 60 fixou-se em Moçambique onde veio a leccionar (na Escola Técnica de Lourenço Marques e na Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, em Maputo). Fundou com Rui Knopfli (1932-1997) os cadernos de poesia 'Caliban' (1971-1972). No início da década de oitenta do século XX, regressou a Portugal e retomou a docência na ESBAP e na Unidade Pedagógica de Viseu. Voltou a África para leccionar arquitectura na Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, em Moçambique, para participar num programa de artesanato, em Cabo Verde e num projecto de Apicultura, na Guiné-Bissau. Interessou-se por etnografia e arte africanas, dando a conhecer o pintor moçambicano Malangatana.

George Allen & Unwin. 1955. Seventh impression of first edition of 1937, (or second impression of second edition. Wrapper flap states eighth impression. Hardback with DW. Maps to endpapers. Coloured frontis., 7 b/w plates plus illustrated half-page tailpiece. Decorated green boards, remarkably clean and fresh, edges very lightly sunned with slight shelfwear. Pages toned with occasional spots of foxing, signs of light creasing/impression to pages 59-67. Wrapper has been stored with flaps to the outside of the boards so pattern from boards has lightly offset onto flaps.Price of 9s 6d net to front flap which has a light vertical crease. Wrapper is slightly sunned and has some surface soiling. There are nicks to corners and head and tail of spine with small close tear to where tail of spine meets front panel. A remarkably clean and sound copy.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. JRR Tolkien (illustrator). 1st Edition. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. 2nd printing of the 1st edition 1937. UK hardback, 1st edition to have the colour illustrations. Presented in a quarter leather green solander box / clam shell case. Also has a 1st edition facsimile dust jacket to protect the book. Beautiful condition, No Inscriptions or internal writing. Internally completely clean except for a very small amount of foxing to the half title page as in photo. Map endpapers clean, illustrations and text block clean. The page edges to top have faded. Green boards with dragon device and spine as can be seen in the photographs, spine ends rubbed a little. Tight binding square and a great copy. Priced for a quick sale. Open to offers direct Price to include worldwide shipping with tracking and insurance. Any questions please contact Andy from SOA Books UK, Tolkien specialists. +44 (0)7785110512.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. First Edition, Third Impression, 1942 A very clean copy with unrestored bright clean boards. The first printing of The Hobbit was issued on 21st September 1937 with a print run of only 1500 copies. The book was an immediate success and sold out within months. The second impression was printed in December the same year in an edition of 2300 copies (423 of which were destroyed at the warehouse of the binder Key and Whiting in the bombing of London on November 7th 1940) and was the first printing to include the author?s one color plate, initially commissioned for and later published in the American edition. [Hammond A3a. ] In late 1942, Allen & Unwin printed 1,500 copies of a third impression. Arguably more scarce than a 1st/1st, with few having survived due to a warehouse fire during the war, and the fact that they were printed on the standard cheap wartime paper. To this end we have only spotted two other third printings, one with an original jacket, listed for $56,000.00; and one other inferior 3rd printing copy without the jacket listed for $12,500. Today first/firsts are selling for $140,000 and up in an original jacket. This unrestored book is in near fine/very good plus condition for the Third Impression. The boards are clean and bright with strong vibrant unfaded deep blue details. Slight toning and rubbing to the cloth with a few area with very small discolorations. Square, but slightly rounded corners. The original end papers are present and clean and bright with no owner names, no bookplates and no bookstore stamps. The internal pages are remarkably clean and bright, with no handling marks, no stains, no foxing, and no bent pages. Lacking the dust jacket. Please see all the images. A superb very early printing in very clean condition.ADDITIONAL IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Please see our ABE store for landmark SciFi and Fantasy first printings.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. FIRST EDITION SECOND IMPRESSION AND THE FIRST WITH COLOR PLATES. 1 vol., 7-1/2" x 5-1/2", 5 plates (4 colour), 8 illustrations by the author, advertisement leaf at end, bound in full dark green morocco, ribbed gilt decorated spine, covers ruled in gilt, Smaug the dragon gilt to lower right corner of the front cover, gilt dentelles, all edges gilt, marbled pastedowns and endpapers, original cloth covers and spine bound in rear, original front and rear map pastedowns and endpapers bound in, by Bayntun, IN AS NEW CONDITION. Published in the same year as the first and the first edition to include colour plates. Tolkien began writing The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, as a Professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford University. Tolkien's creative perspective was born from a childhood spent briefly in South Africa and then rural England, a short but wretched tour during World War I, and an avid fascination with German philology. Although it was originally billed as a children's book, The Hobbit attracted a varied audience and has been wildly popular since its initial publication. Tolkien built upon the tradition of fantasy literature developed by George MacDonald, Lewis Carroll, and the folk tales of Arabian Nights by inventing a new language?Elvish?and making it accessible for modern-day readers. Such creativity brought rave reviews for The Hobbit, which sold out of its original print run of 1,500 copies three months after publication.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. George Allen & Unwin Ltd. Publishers. 1937, 1954. London, U.K. First edition and thirteenth printing. Signed by author on half title page. Book in FINE condition, tight and square, sharp corners. Dustwrapper in NEAR FINE condition, original 12s. 6d. net price present on front flap, no chips or damage, unfaded spine, foxing on both flaps. Overall a FINE copy in great collectible condition. Very rare signed. Photos available. $13500. Signed by Author(s).

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien First Edition Second Impression George Allen & Unwin Ltd 1937. No previous owner's name inscriptions or signs of ownership. Contents clean and unblemished throughout, free of any foxing. Binding remains tight. Top edge tint still present. Covers are VG and have no wear or fraying to head or tail of spine.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1937) The Hobbit or There and Back Again , UK first edition, second impression, published by George Allen & Unwin. Housed in a luxurious full leather solander box with the dragon design stamped in gold to front and back, as well as title, author and the rune symbol to the spine. Condition: a very good to near fine book lacking the original dust jacket. Internally absolutely clean without any previous owners names, bookplates nor stamps. The boards green colour of the cloth remains fresh and clean. the spine a little toned. Minor shelf wear to spine tips as shown. A beautiful copy and rare in this clean state. The second impression was published in the same year as the first impression, and was the first impression featuring colour illustrations. The print run of the sheets was 2,300 copies and they were bound in different months starting in December 1937 until June 1940. 423 sheets burned during the Blitz. Of the surviving copies many have been altered by children s hands (we have seen many copies with the black and white illustrations coloured in), or people penned their name in ink. This copy remains absolutely clean and in its original state. A landmark children s and fantasy book, enjoyed by generations.

Full-Leather. Condition: Very Good. J. R. R. Tolkien (illustrator). 1st Edition. 310, [2] pages; with frontispiece and three plates in colour as called for. Second impression: [December] 1937, the first to include Tolkien's illustrations in colour. Rebound in gold calf with raised bands; upper board decorated with a Smaug done in fish leather and kid on a black lambskin field. All original elements retained: map end-papers, half title, advert leaf at rear; with the original spine and cloth from both boards bound in at rear. A tidy interior, with no inscriptions. 7.9 x 6 inches.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. First Edition, Second Impression, 1937 A near fine very clean unrestored copy. The first printing of The Hobbit was issued on 21st September 1937 with a print run of only 1500 copies. The book was an immediate success and sold out within months. The second impression (of which this copy is one), was printed in December the same year in an edition of 2300 copies (423 of which were destroyed at the warehouse of the binder, Key and Whiting, in the bombing of London on November 7th 1940) and was the first printing to convert four of the author?s black and white illustration plates to color. These were initially commissioned for and later published in the American edition. [Hammond A3a.] We have only spotted one other second printings, one with a complete original jacket, listed for $56,000.00 (since sold); and then an inferior third printing withOUT a dust jacket listed for $12,500. Today first/firsts are selling for $140,000 and up in an original jacket. This unrestored book is in near fine/very good plus condition for the Second Impression. The boards have but a touch of fraying to the very lower spine edge and a few corner tips, otherwise the boards are remarkable condition and without any brittleness. The cloth is in supple condition, overall clean with spots of toning/aging. The book has sharp corners, one very lightly pushed. The binding is tight and square. The original end papers are present and clean and bright with no owner names, no inscriptions, no bookplates and no bookstore stamps, but with a few tiny illegible letters along the top edge of the front fly leaf. The internal pages are all clean, bright and flat with no handling marks, no bent pages and no stains. Very slight pale and occasional intermittent foxing. An overall very clean fresh unrestored book. Lacking the dust jacket. Please see all the images. A superb very early printing in very clean condition. ADDITIONAL IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. Please see our ABE store for other landmark Fantasy and SciFi titles.

Hardcover. Condition: Fair. 1st Edition, Illustrated Edition. This is the rare, true first printing of "THE HOBBIT - or, There and Back Again" by J.R.R. Tolkien. 1937 1st edition, 1st printing (with "First Published in 1937" stated on the copyright page and no subsequent printings listed); George Allen & Unwin Ltd.; London. All illustrations are present as called for, and are firmly attached. The frontispiece and all illustrations are in black & white. "Thror's Map" and "Map of Winderland" are in color on the end papers. Exceedingly rare with only 1,500 copies printed. Additional photos can be provided upon request. Condition: Light soiling to covers and spine. Strip of cloth missing at center-left edge of spine. The center-right strip and the remainder of the spine below it are loose and attached at the right edge only. Small cloth tears at outer front cover corners; tiny cloth tear at bottom-left corner of back cover. Small cloth tear/piece missing at the top-left corner of the spine. No cracks and no loose pages. The front cover is a bit shaky. Pages 269/270 and 271/272 have been removed. A name "Jilland Jeremy" written in pencil at the bottom of page 207. Pages 207-210 and the illustration after page 146 have light staining along the top and outer edges. Page 47 has a small stain and 1/2" tear at the outer edge. The pages are generally clean with an occasional smudge, stain and foxing spot here and there (most notably to some random pages between 1 and 20). There is a very light "waviness" to the pages. Bookplate affixed to half title page. Light tanning to the end paper maps. Overall in Fair condition.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. 1st Edition. FIRST PRINTING. ONE OF ONLY 1500 COPIES PRINTED. HARDBACK BOUND IN THE ORIGINAL PUBLISHERS DECORATED CLOTH BINDING WITH THE ORIGINAL MAP DECORATED ENDPAPERS TO FRONT & REAR, FRONTIS PLATE PRESENT BUT LACKING THE MIRKWOOD PLATE AT PAGE 146, ALL OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS ARE PRESENT & CORRECT. INCLUDED WITH THE ORIGINAL FIRST EDITION IS A NEW FACSIMILE EDITION OF IDENTICAL SIZE WITH A NEW DUST JACKET & DECORATED SLIPCASE THAT FITS BOTH COPIES, THE SLIPCASE COULD BE USED TO HOUSE THE ORIGINAL FIRST EDITION, THE NEW BOOK COMES WITH THE MIRKWOOD PLATE. BOOK MEASURES APPROX 8 x 5 INCHES WITH 310 PAGES + THE ORIGINAL TWO SIDED PUBLISHERS CATALOGUE TO REAR. FEW MINOR MARKS TO CLOTH COVER, WITH MINOR WEAR AT TOP & BOTTOM OF SPINE, FAINT VERTICAL CREASE TO MIDDLE OF CLOTH SPINE, SLIGHT PLAY TO HINGES, NAME OF SEYMOUR MEAD TO FRONT MAP ENDPAPER & FRONT BLANK ENDPAPER + A CHRISTMAS INSCRIPTION FROM THE YEAR OF PUBLICATION DATED 1937 TO FRONT BLANK ENDPAPER, MAJORITY OF PAGES HAVE SOME MINOR WRINKLES TO BOTTOM PAGE MARGINS [SEE IMAGES] OCCASIONAL MINOR CREASE, BLEMISH OR FINGER MARK TO PAGES, VERY OCCASIONAL MINOR SEPARATION AT INNER PAGE MARGINS BUT WITH ALL PAGES WELL ATTACHED. OVERALL THE FIRST EDITION IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION & HAS HAD NO RESTORATION TO ANY PART OF THE BOOK, THE FACSIMILE EDITION WITH THE SLIPCASE IS IN AS NEW CONDITION. A GENUINE FIRST EDITION & FIRST PRINTING OF THE HOBBIT IN THE ORIGINAL PUBLISHERS CLOTH BINDING. A RARE TITLE WITH THE FIRST PRINTING HAVING ONLY 1500 COPIES PUBLISHED & SOLD OUT BEFORE CHRISTMAS OF 1937 WITH VERY FEW SURVIVING IN ORIGINAL CLOTH. EXTRA IMAGES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

Condition: Good. First Edition. First edition, first printing. Bound in publisher's green cloth with dark green pictorial stamping, top edge stained green. Good, with soling and wear to cloth, cloth thinned at foot of spine and front joint, with a moderate partial split to the rear joint though binding intact. Light foxing to textblock edge. Owner initials to front free endpaper, owner bookplates to front free endpaper and the following blank sheet with light wrinkling to those pages; bookplate to blank is covering evidence of a previous bookplate removal. Pages tanned, lightly thumbed. One of a mere 1,500 copies of the first printing of Tolkien's fantasy classic.

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. HARDBACK - A very good book bound in the publisher's green cloth boards with black lettering to the spine. The boards are very clean indeed with no fading or colour loss to the spine. There is mild pushing to the spine tips with light bumping to the top corner of the front board. Internally, the pages are clean with light foxing to the page blocks, but with no signs of foxing to the inner text. There is a small owner name in blue ink to the top corner of the front end-paper with a small christmas 1939 present to the bottom corner of the front paste down. The green top-stain is still present but has faded somewhat. There are a couple of faint stains to the base of the page block that do not encroach into the inner text. The dust wrapper is the correct second impression, and is also in very good condition with mild toning to the spine. There are small chips to the tip and tail of the spine, also with small chips to the corners of the front and rear flap folds. The dust wrapper's has some foxing with light soiling to the verso of the wrapper that do not show through to most of the wrapper, but foxing can be seen to the white portion of the upper front panel. Overall, a clean dust wrapper considering its age, with the publisher's printed price of 7s.6d.net. present to the front flap. The second impression is dated 1937, but was actually published in January 1938, saw the first appearance of four additional colour illustrations by Tolkien. Some 2300 copies were originally printed, although 423 copies were destroyed at the binders during the London Blitz in 1940. Scarce thus.

Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. FIRST EDITION FIRST PRINTING. 1 vol., 7-11/16" x 5-5/8", Frontispiece & 8 B&W plates and one vignette by Tolkien, advertisement leaf at end, top edge of textblock tinted green, bound in the publisher's original stamped green cloth, map pastedowns and endpapers, internally clean and bright, no foxing, no lean to the spine, inner and outer hinges fine, head and foot of spine fine, back corners square, lower rear corner of the foot of the spine rubbed with some slight loss, completely unsophisticated without any repairs, neat ownership signature of Betty Jean Orton dated Xmas 1937 to front blank endleaf, A NEAR FINE COPY. Provenance: Betty Jean Orton is the daughter of Harold Orton (1898-1975), English dialectologist and lexicographer remembered for his monumental Survey of English Dialects (1962-72). Tolkien began writing The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, as a Professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford University. Tolkien's creative perspective was born from a childhood spent briefly in South Africa and then rural England, a short but wretched tour during World War I, and an avid fascination with German philology. Although it was originally billed as a children's book, The Hobbit attracted a varied audience and has been wildly popular since its initial publication. Tolkien built upon the tradition of fantasy literature developed by George MacDonald, Lewis Carroll, and the folk tales of Arabian Nights by inventing a new language?Elvish?and making it accessible for modern-day readers. Such creativity brought rave reviews for The Hobbit. 1,500 copies were published on Sept. 21, 1937 and were sold out by December. Less then three months after publication. REFERENCE: Currey 476; Hammond A3a.

First edition, first impression, in the first issue jacket, of "the outstanding British work of fantasy for children to appear between the two World Wars, and the first of a series of books which eventually brought Tolkien world-wide fame and created a cult following" (Carpenter & Prichard). Keen to draw similarities with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the publishers claimed parallels between Lewis Carroll and J. R. R. Tolkien. Unfortunately, the blurb on the rear inside flap of the first issue of the dust jacket incorrectly cites the author of Alice as "Dodgeson". This required a correction in ink by hand, as in this copy. Tolkien first scribbled the opening lines of The Hobbit in the late 1920s or early 1930s: "in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." The narrative developed into a tale told to the Tolkien children by their father and he continued to work on it without thought of publication. During the winter of 1932, an incomplete typescript was read by Tolkien's friend and Oxford colleague, C. S. Lewis. By the start of 1936, the narrative broke off at the death of Smaug and a friend of one of Tolkien's pupils, who worked for the publishers Allen & Unwin, read it. She suggested that Tolkien complete the story and submit it to be considered for publication. Tolkien set to work and had nearly finished the story by August that year, sending the typescript to the publishers on 3 October. Production of the book took several months with significant time devoted to the illustrations. Tolkien prepared more than 100 of his own illustrations, although he realised that this number would have to be greatly reduced for publication. Tolkien was also responsible for the dust jacket design, depicting the mountains of Bilbo Baggins's journey in a remarkable night and day combination. It is described by Alan Powers as "stylized art nouveau". The first edition was published on 21 September 1937, and the first impression of 1,500 copies was sold out by December. C. S. Lewis reviewed the book for The Times Literary Supplement on 2 October 1937. He suggested that both The Hobbit and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland "both belong to a very small class of books which have nothing in common save that each admits us to a world of its own - a world that seems to have been going on before we stumbled into it but which, once found by the right reader, becomes indispensable to him". Lewis continued, "to define the world of The Hobbit is, of course, impossible, because it is new. You cannot anticipate it before you go there, as you cannot forget it once you have gone". "Prediction is dangerous," concluded Lewis, "but The Hobbit may well prove a classic". Hammond & Anderson A3a. Humphrey Carpenter & Mari Prichard, The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature, 1984, p. 254; Grolier Children's 100, 81; C. S. Lewis, "A World for Children", The Times Literary Supplement, 2 October 1937, p. 714; Alan Powers, Front Cover, 2001, p. 24. Octavo. Original green cloth, spine and front cover lettered in dark blue, binding with design in dark blue, map endpapers printed in black and red, top edge green. With dust jacket. Frontispiece and nine illustrations by the author. Head and foot of spine slightly bumped, sections of spine and extremities slightly sunned, minor nick to foot of rear cover, foxing to edges, some toning and foxing to jacket, sections at head and foot of spine professionally restored, price-clipped; a very good copy which presents well.

First edition, first issue of Tolkien's classic tale, "among the very highest achievements of childrenâ s authors during the 20th centuryâ (Carpenter & Pritchard, 530), one of only a handful of presentation copies reserved for Tolkien to give to family members, colleagues and close friends. Octavo, original cloth, cartographic endpapers, frontispiece and 9 full-page uncolored illustrations after drawings by Tolkien. Presentation copy, inscribed by Tolkien on the flyleaf, "Mr. & Mrs. Livesley & Edgar with best wishes from J.R.R. Tolkien." The recipients, the Livesleys and their son Edgar, ran the Kennaway House, a Regency town house in the village of Sidmouth, East Devon which Tolkien used as a summer holiday home and the surrounds of which inspired the landscapes, flora, and fauna of The Shire", the region of Middle-earth inhabited hobbits first introduced in The Hobbit. Situated on the rocky coast of the rustic Devon countryside, the village of Sidmouth has featured in a number of famed literary works, as "Stymouth" in Beatrix Potter's children's story The Tale of Little Pig Robinson (1930), "Idmouth" in Thomas Hardy's Wessex, "Baymouth" in William Makepeace Thackeray's Pendennis, and "Spudmouth" in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle. English poet Elizabeth Barrett lived in the town from 1832 until 1835. In the final stages of The Hobbit's revisions, Tolkien notably penned a list of special recipients he wished to present copies of the first printing of the book to upon publication, including C.S. Lewis, R.W. Chambers, R.W. Chambers, Simone dâ Ardenne, George S. Gordon, Elaine Griffiths, his aunts Mabel Mitton and Florence Hadley, and the Livesleys who hosted him at the Kennaway House. Published on September 21, 1937, the first printing of the Hobbit constituted only 1500 copies and completely sold out by December 15th. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom full morocco clamshell box. An exceptional association of the most highly coveted work in fantasy literature. "In enchanted Middle-earth, a small, comfort-loving Hobbit is awakened from his slumbers by a visitor who tells of lost treasure. Before Bilbo Baggins returns home again, he journeys past wizards and elves, talkative trees and treasure-guarding dragons, all swirling in cosmic battle between good and evil. J.R.R. Tolkien's fully realized fantasy world won over generations of children, and dazzled adults with its deft interweaving of medieval legend and made-up languages, maps, and creatures. Tolkien legitimized the modern fantasy genre, and provided the 1960's counterculture with antiwar, back-to-Eden icons" (NYPL Books of the Century 199). â Professor Tolkienâ s epic of Middle Earthâ ¦ [is] one of [the twentieth] centuryâ s lasting contributions to that borderland of literature between youth and age. There are few such booksâ "Gulliverâ s Travels, The Pilgrimâ s Progress, Robinson Crusoe, Don Quixote, Alice in Wonderland, The Wind in the Willowsâ "what else?â ¦ [They are] destined to become this centuryâ s contribution to that select list of books which continue through the ages to be read by children and adults with almost equal pleasureâ (Eyre, 67, 134-5). "All historians of childrenâ s literatureâ ¦ agree in placing [The Hobbit] among the very highest achievements of childrenâ s authors during the 20th centuryâ (Carpenter & Prichard, 254, 530). Published on September 21, 1937 in a first printing of only 1500 copies, The Hobbit had completely sold out by December 15. â It may have been a surprise to its publishers that a work as sui generis as The Hobbit should have been a popular success, but once it was a success there can have been no surprise in the clamor for a sequel. Tolkien had opened up a new imaginative continent, and the cry now was to see more of itâ (Shippey, 49).