The Silmarillion

Tolkien, J. R. R.

ISBN 10: 0048231398 / ISBN 13: 9780048231390

Published by George Allen & Unwin, London, 1977

About this Item

365 pp. 8vo. Fine dust jacket with extremely minimal edge wear, now in mylar cover. Blue cloth boards with gold titling, very light sunning to top edge of boards, small bumping to bottom of rear corner board. Clean within.ÂThis is the true 1st Edition. Also called the British Export Edition, printed by William Clowes & Sons, London. The British domestic issue was later printed by Billington. George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., London, UK, 1977. The foldout map is present and in Fine condition inside the rear endpaper. Top edge stained blue as per this edition. The unpriced export edition preceded the (priced) domestic edition, and contains all first impression points (misprints on pages 330 and 352 that were corrected in a later impression or impressions). The True 1st Edition includes the following points: (1) no price on jacket; (2) printed by William Clowes on copyright; (3) no period after Feanor on p.330, line 4; (4) the word "and" between "Lord of Waters and King of the Sea" is in italics on p.352, line 39. .

Seller Inventory # 3046

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Silmarillion
• Publisher: George Allen & Unwin, London
• Publication Date: 1977
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0048231398
• ISBN 13: 9780048231390
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First UK Edition.
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Magic
  • Fantasy
  • Fiction

About this title

Synopsis

An edition of the forerunner to THE LORD OF THE RINGS, which gives an account of the Elder Days when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwells in Middle-Earth, and the High Elves make war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor.

Review

The Silmarillion is J.R.R. Tolkien's tragic, operatic history of the First Age of Middle-Earth, essential background material for serious readers of the classic Lord of the Rings saga. Tolkien's work sets the standard for fantasy, and this audio version of the "Bible of Middle-Earth" does The Silmarillion justice. Martin Shaw's reading is grave and resonant, conveying all the powerful events and emotions that shaped elven and human history long before Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf and all the rest embarked on their quests. Beginning with the Music of the Ainur, The Silmarillion tells a tale of the Elder Days, when Elves and Men became estranged by the Dark Lord Morgoth's lust for the Silmarils, pure and powerful magic jewels. Even the love between a human warrior and the daughter of the Elven king cannot defeat Morgoth, but the War of Wrath finally brings down the Dark Lord. Peace reigns until the evil Sauron recovers the Rings of Power and sets the stage for the events told in the Lord of the Rings. This is epic fantasy at its finest, thrillingly read and gloriously unabridged. (Running time: 14 hours, 6 CDs)