TOLKIEN, John Ronald Reuel (1892–1973). [The Lord of the Rings trilogy:] The Fellowship of the Ring. 1954. –– The Two Towers. 1954. –– The Return of the King. 1955. All London: Allen & Unwin Ltd.
Together, 3 volumes, 8vo. Folding map tipped–in each volume. Original red cloth, gilt–lettered spines (covers slightly bowed in The Fellowship and The Return, some light spotting to text block fore–edges and endsheets, some light ghosting also to endsheets); original unclipped dust jackets (spine panels very gently sunned, some very faint minor spotting, creased faintly at joints, extreme ends a bit crimped). Provenance: R.S. Heath Ltd. (booksellers’ ticket at foot of front pastedown in The Fellowship).
FIRST EDITIONS, with impressions and states as follow: The Fellowship of the Rings is a second impression; The Two Towers is a first impression in a first state dust jacket without reviews on rear flap; The Return of the King is a first impression, third state, in a second state dust jacket with reviews on rear flap. In Hammond’s bibliography, it was noted that in The Return of the King the first impression, first state, was marked by the signature mark “4” and sagging type on page 49 but has since corrected this to say that these are indicative of the first impression, second and third states. Hammond noted this misinterpretation in Issue 11 of The Tolkien Collector (October 1995).
A LOVELY SET of one of the best–selling book series of all time in attractive dust jackets. Hammond A5a–i, ii, and iii; Bleiler, Supernatural Fiction 1606–8; Pringle, Modern Fantasy: The Hundred Best Novels 16; Cawthorn & Moorcock, Fantasy: The 100 Best Books 76.