Search Results: the hobbit by tolkien

London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1937.

London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1937, 1937. 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.… Read More

London: George Allen and Unwin, 1937. First Edition. Good. 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.

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… Read More

THE HOBBIT, 1st American edition, 1st state with bowing Hobbit on the title page, J R R Tolkien, Houghton & Mifflin, Boston & New York, 1938. All points correct for 1st edition, 1st state. No signatures, inscriptions, book plates. No foxing, stains or handling marks. A very clean copy with excellent boards, spine and maps. The original dust jacket has tears and losses, missing the front flap, colours very good, now in archival protective cover.

Has had some regluing on spine and strenghtening in places there since binding was shaky. Has a page with a stain and some with small dog-ears. Name from child on front-free endpage. Has a few pencil-markings that can be erased if wished but i dont dare to do that in case it might be from Ian (It is probably from someone else though). Bought from Peter Harrington who takes the authenticity of their autographs very seriously. The following is taken from description from Harrington.Inscribed by Sir Ian McKellen with an original drawing of Gandalf First edition, fourth impression, inscribed by Sir Ian McKellen on the half-title, "Charlotte, Ian McKellen, 2007", together with an original drawing of Gandalf by McKellen. This copy was inscribed for the granddaughter of McKellen's understudy, David Weston, during the 2007 tour of King Lear with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Weston later published a memoir of the tour titled Covering McKellen: An Understudy's Tale (2007). Although the fourth impression is… Read More

Houghton Mifflin Co.. A beautiful crisp clean hardcover copy in very good condition, light foxing to top edge of textblock, upper corner edge of textblock slightly bumped. DJ, clipped, in good condition with small chips along edges. Genuine first edition first printing with bowing hobbit on title page and Chapter VII identified as Chapter VI. . Very Good. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1938.

UK: George Allen & Unwin, 1937. 1st Edition 2nd Printing. Hardcover. Very Good. 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.

Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1938. First Edition. Very Good. First American edition, first state with a bowing hobbit on the title page, and Chapter VII mistakenly titles Chapter VI. Bound in publisher's original buff cloth stamped in blue and red; lacking the dust jacket. Very Good with light marking to bottom of spine, spine ends and corners worn, spine toned. Pages toned, bookplate removal to first blank sheet, several hinges slightly exposed and some sporadic soiling. Tolkien's fantasy masterpiece, with illustrations by the author.

London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1937, 1937. 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.… Read More

The present example was owned by Tolkien's uncle, W.B. Incledon who later gifted it to a friend. Inscribed by Incledon: C.S.C. / from / W.B. Incledon. / Rottingdean / Jan? 1938/
Published in the same year as the first impression, this first colour illustrated edition (second impression overall) is the first time the world saw Middle-Earth in colour. This impression was printed in December of 1937 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). This example with the connection to the Tolkien family is one of a kind and has been held in the consignee's family by descent since 1938. One does presume that the book was originally given to his uncle by Tolkien himself.
First colour illustrated edition. 8vo. A VG+ to near-fine example. Original publishers green cloth. Minor wear to the extremities of the cloth Presentation inscription from Tolkien's uncle. Internally fresh. A one of a kind example with… Read More

Houghton Mifflin, 1938. first. hardcover. very good. First US edition, first issue. Book very good, spine ends slightly worn, corners slightly rubbed, between 2nd free end paper and next paper some cracking along gutter as well as in rear, rear paste-down has a small bookstore sticker at bottom and a number stamp at top.

A very clean copy. Allen & Unwin printed only 1,509 copies of a third impression in 1942, making it a scarce find. The boards are clean and bright. Very slight rubbing in a few places. The original end papers are clean and bright, with no signatures, inscriptions or bookplates. The internal pages are clean throughout, with no handling marks, no stains and no foxing. Reasonably good green top colour. Lacking the dust jacket. An excellent early impression in very clean condition. Scarce

Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1938. First Edition. Very Good. First American edition, first state with a bowing hobbit on the title page, and Chapter VII mistakenly titles Chapter VI. Bound in publisher's original buff cloth stamped in blue and red; lacking the dust jacket. Very Good, light lean to binding, cloth lightly worn at extremities and lightly soiled. Foxing and tanning to pages, former owner gift inscription and partial card-pocket to preliminary pages, several pages tape-reinforced at gutter and a few creases. Tolkien's fantasy masterpiece, with illustrations by the author.

First American edition, first state with a bowing hobbit on the title page, and Chapter VII mistakenly titled Chapter VI. Bound in publisher's original buff cloth (slight staining) stamped in blue and red; lacking the dust jacket. Good + with light foxing to cloth and loosening on the interior spine, corners rubbed; former owner labels. More photos available upon request.

Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1938. First American edition, first st. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket. 8vo. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, FIRST STATE, 1938. The first state of the first American edition has a bowing hobbit (facing to the left) on the title page. In the second state this device is replaced with a worn publisher (facing to the right). Tan cloth boards with the title in blue and a bowing hobbit in red.  310 pp. Map end sheets. Hammond A3b1. The binding is tight but there is too much wear to call it VG so it is good only. End sheets are dirty. Final end sheet has a moisture stain and a bookplate from the United States Naval Institute.  Some pages soiled. Lacking dust jacket. Shelley and Son Books specializes in C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien & the Inklings. Full refund if not satisfied.

George Allen & Unwin. London. 1955. 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.

In good condition! The book is fresh internally except some small foxing( overall very little). A small waterstained stain on page 111 which is now dry. The binding is holds well. Slightly forward leaning but not much at all. Has waterstains on back. Mark from previous tape on map and name written in ink. Two dog-eared pages from previous reader. There is another name that was written previously on front-free endpage but i erased this with an eraser and it is now barely noticeable. Two what looks like moisturestains on the dragon on front cover. Points of issue for this edition, note: Reprint notice of corrections opposite chapter 1, Only Farmer Giles of Ham on ad card (no Lord of the Rings, published in 1954), and no ad for Lord of the Rings on last page, B in footer of page 17 but nothing on following pages, all indicating this is the 1951 fifth impression edition although no impressions listed on the copyright page

George Allen and Unwin, London 1958. later edition. Hardback. Fine/Very Good. George Allen & Unwin, London 1958. 2nd edition and the 10th printing overall. A Fine copy in the original green cloth. No ownership markings. Original and unrestored dustjacket is clipped and has small tears and chips to corners, but is clean and bright. Presents very well on the collector's shelf.

London: George Allen and Unwin. 1966. First printing of the third edition. First printing of the third edition. Publisher's original green cloth with wraparound illustration and dark blue titles to the spine and upper board, in dustwrapper. Map endpapers, four colour plates and eight black and white illustrations after drawings by the author. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm with tiny bumps to the extremities, the cloth with some ghosting to the spine is otherwise bright and fresh. The contents, with a small previous owner's ink inscription (Pembroke College, Oxford) to the half title are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the lightly rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that has thin strips of toning to the top edge of the flaps. Not price-clipped (20s net to the front flap). An excellent example, scarce thus. The true first printing of the last edition to carry significant revisions by the author. The revisions were made to align the narrative more closely to The Lord of the… Read More