THE HOBBIT 1st Edition, 3rd Impression by J. R. R. Tolkien - 1942

London: George Allen and Unwin. 1942. First Edition; Third Printing. Hardcover. The book is bound in the publisher's original green cloth covers with black titles and decoration in a facsimile jacket. Presenting very well this is a nice clean copy with minimal signs of age or wear. A few light fox marks, very good. To go into great detail: the corners have softened just a touch and the spine tips have a couple of very tiny bumps and some soiling. Internally the book is again superb, all original with no restoration. Owner ink stamp to the second page. The book sits nice and square with some mild foxing to the first few leaves and occasionally through the book generally consistent with a book of this age. A little foxing to text block. Overall a real beauty. 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. This 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 colour plate, initially commissioned for and later published in the American edition. [Hammond A3a. ] An absolute collector's gem and as rare as the First and second Printing. In late 1942, Allen & Unwin printed 1,500 copies of a third impression under their imprint. ; All domestic orders shipped protected in a Box. .