Suggested Tolkien Editions For Christmas

It's that time of year for me to suggest and feature some particular editions of Tolkien's works. I think this typically happens, because the films were released right around Christmas time. So, I've come to associate that time of the year with Tolkien (and fantasy overall, when there hasn't been much happening, Tolkien-wise).

So let's get into it!

First we have what I like to call the 'landscape' paperback covers. These are pretty basic, though are the 'footprint' for pretty much all editions and settings of the text. Also, the covers are different then what we typically see for a Tolkien book. Some think in a bad way, others in a good way. I believe it's due to many stating that they resemble general or average fantasy books, self-help books etc, as opposed to what we typically see for a Tolkien cover. 

Boxed set ISBN: 9780008387754
The Hobbit ISBN: 9780008376055
The Fellowship of the Ring ISBN: 9780008376062
The Two Towers ISBN: 9780008376079
The Return of the King ISBN:  9780008376086

Those editions also exist as unjacketed hardbacks. These initially existed in 2013 as the clothbound 'collector's editions.' They have been reissued (The Lord of the Rings books got brand new ISBNs, whereas The Hobbit's remained the same, however the matching changes took place as of the 15th printing) with a few changes here and there from the original 2013 set. The changes are:

- the original editions were the same height as 'typical' Tolkien hardbacks. These reissues are a bit shorter.

- the original editions were clothbound, the reissues are not.

- the reissues are cheaper than a standard Tolkien hardback (by approx $5-$10)

- For The Lord of the Rings titles, the maps of Middle-earth appeared at the front endpapers, and Rohan/Gondor/Mordor appeared at the rear endpaper for all three. For the reissues, Middle-earth is front and back for The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, whereas The Return of the King features Middle-earth at the front, and Rohan/Gondor/Mordor at the rear.

- The Hobbit no longer includes Chapter 1 of The Lord of the Rings at the back, making the book a bit slimmer.

- The Hobbit finally features the 'all new reproductions of Tolkien's art' as initially described. What that means, is that all the artwork is in black and white - including the artwork that is typically seen in colour (such as 'Conversation With Smaug.'). The list of illustrations features the black and white versions of colour artwork with a star reading 'Black and White reproduction of J.R.R. Tolkien's colour plate by Nicollette Cavern (copyright logo) The Tolkien Estate Limited 2020.' This would be for "Rivendell", "Bilbo woke early with the sun in his eyes", "Bilbo comes to the Huts of the Raft-elves", and "Conversation with Smaug."

- the appearance for all 4 in this style has been updated slightly. They all have foiling on them: gold for The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, copper for The Two Towers and silver for The Return of the King.

The text setting is the exact same as the paperbacks above. These are nicer than paperbacks (due to the hardback format) however, while nicer and more extravagant hardbacks, these are very budget-friendly. They are a bit cheaper than a typical, non-Tolkien hardback, and a bit more than a paperback. So, that makes these great 'starter editions' or gifts. Of course, if you like the look of them, they can also be extra copies. But don't expect too much from them. Worthy of note: their height dimensions are shorter than that of a 'usual' Tolkien hardback. 

The Hobbit ISBN: 9780007487301
The Fellowship of the Ring ISBN: 9780008567125
The Two Towers ISBN: 9780008567132
The Return of the King ISBN: 9780008567149
[no boxed set]

Next, we have the illustrated by the author trinity. All three primary titles are now out, and it's very unlikely that other titles will be released into this style. Of course, never say never, but it's unlikely. These are offered in both standard hardback and deluxe slipcased formats. 

The Hobbit ISBN: 9780008627782
The Lord of the Rings ISBN: 9780008471286
The Silmarillion ISBN: 9780008537890

Lastly, there's the illustrated hardbacks. It's personal choice if one prefers these, or the illustrated by the author editions in instances where the same title exists in both styles. This style has more titles that match, so that is worth mentioning. 

Hobbit + Lord of the Rings Boxed Set ISBN: 9780008376109

....and of course, special mention goes to the Alan Lee 1-book edition of The Lord of the Rings from 2014. (ISBN: 9780007525546) While it 100% doesn't match other Tolkien books, it can be seen as - despite some minor aesthetic and size differences - a 1-book alternative to the above editions of The Lord of the Rings. It's a nice enough edition considering the price tag.

So that's it for the recommended editions! While I may not own all of them, I can still endorse them, as I've frequently encountered them at the bookstore, and many other fans have great things to say about them. It really comes down to personal taste, of course. It's great that so many editions exist, though I wanted to highlight certain ones in case one felt overwhelmed or stuck.  

New (Matching) Edition of THE SILMARILLION Forthcoming

 

In a few months, there will be a new edition of The Silmarillion joining the.....I don't know how to call them! Joining the new versions of the 2013 re-issues of The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings (as 3 parts). I am referring to these editions: 

What follows is the info. I'm surprised, as I'd thought they were going to put out a boxed set of those editions (now that The Hobbit matches. Remember, with The Hobbit they reprinted it to match the re-issues (new ISBNs) of The Lord of the Rings).

ISBN: 9780008669140

Special unjacketed hardback edition of the prelude to J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings. This edition of The Silmarillion features the complete work with a unique cover design and black and red endpaper maps.

The Silmarillion is an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien’s World. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them, such as Elrond and Galadriel, took part.

The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-Earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor.

This special ‘collectors hardback’ edition of the work includes a unique cover design that illustrates Telperion and Laurelin, the Two Trees of Valinor, and the three Silmarils.

Further Details + Thoughts on Christopher Tolkien Boxed Sets

 

With the announcement of The History of Middle-earth series, more information has come to light, and I'll share thoughts/opinions afterwards. 

Part of HarperCollins' official announcement reads: "Beginning in November, and continuing throughout 2024, a series of four boxed sets of hardbacks will acknowledge Christopher Tolkien’s remarkable literary achievement, with the final set appearing on what would have been his 100^th birthday in November 2024."

So now we know that the fourth and final of the HoM-e (History of Middle-earth) sets will be released then. Once it's been released, I'll showcase the 4 boxed sets here more: between the first and the third, I'll announce them, pass on info, etc; though for my Tolkien Christmas post next year they'll be featured then, as they'll all be out at that point. 

Worthy of note, is that part of the facebook post announcing the sets formally: These boxed sets will be accompanied by a wealth of exciting new publishing, which we will be announcing in the coming months. Hmm.....what else could be coming?! 

The most logical release, would be a Great Tales (The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien and The Fall of Gondolin) boxed set by HarperCollins. However, it remains to be seen if such a set would be released during 2024, or after the 4th HoM-e boxed set (which would be after his centenary and make sense for it not be announced, unless they don't want to announce too much at once.)

It should be acknowledged that Christopher didn't only focus on Middle-earth. He has put together some non-Middle-earth titles. Some notable examples include: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Monsters and the Critics, The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, The Fall of Arthur and Beowulf. It is my personal hopes that we finally get a standard hardback edition of Sir Gawain, as it physically only exists as a paperback and a deluxe edition. This would also be a great opportunity for them to re-issue The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun with a matte dustjacket. 

Some other titles could reprinted in hardback, such as those with only a paperback edition by HarperCollins and have not existed in hardback since the first editions (example: The Monsters and the Critics). 

I'll be sure to keep you posted of news of future releases. Given that Boxed Set 1 of 4 is due out next month, I can see Boxed Set 2 (HoM-e books 3-5) coming out March or April, and Boxed Set 3 (HoM-e books 6-9) arriving June - August. This would then allow Boxed Set 4 (HoM-e books 10-12 + the index) arrive next November. 

UNFINISHED TALES 'Illustrated by the Author' [SPECULATION]

The above image was created by Astral_Taurus on reddit on the tolkienbooks reddit, so first: many thanks for your work, and posting that. As such it is fanmade and not real. This post is 'for fun and games' only. 

So: the 'illustrated by the author' edition arriving in 2024.

This format began in 2021 with The Lord of the Rings, continued in 2022 with The Silmarillion and will see another release this year with The Hobbit. But ,what about next year? Will The Lord of the Rings get divided into 3 and get a refreshed 70th Anniversary Edition boxed set? (2024 will be the 70th anniversary). Or, would that instead be saved for 2025? Another approach, could be that the next title (if there were to be a 'next title') would Unfinished Tales, arriving in standard hardback and as a slipcased edition.

Many may (rightfully so) decry that there isn't enough artwork for Unfinished Tales to exist in this format. Perhaps, though what may happen is that Unfinished Tales could be a 'collection' of existing artwork that has already appeared in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion; where relevant to that section in Unfinished Tales. The issue, content-to-artwork matching could be for Part 2: The Second Age. There may be enough Tolkien artwork for Part 1: The First Age, and Part 3: The Third Age, but Part 2 may be a bit more tricky to insert artwork into.

Now, it wouldn't be all the artwork from those three titles, but some. For instance, one of the images included in The Silmarillion is of Tolkien's Barad-dur, which also appeared in The Lord of the Rings. It would be neat to see this title come to that format....but could/should it??

So, we'll see that they come up with next - if this format even has a 'next.'



For the sake of fun, here's how I can see a deluxe edition of Unfinished Tales appearing, and some of its features. All hypothetical of course, but fun to think about: 

- The art print would be 'Glorund Sets Forth to Seek Turin'.
- the maps (posters) would be of Middle-earth and Beleriand
- edged in copper or silver
- book and slipcase 'logo' would be Idril's Device/Numenorean tile.
- the ribbon marker would match the 'colour theme' of the book
- the colour theme could be a bronze or copper. Mayve not quite the same shade as used for the first edition's dutjacket but one that's close to it, and would work for a slipcased edition (going well with the book being black, foil stamping, etc).



The standard edition would feature similarly design cover art (using the Idril's Device symbol for the cover) and having the same maps. Not sure what the writing on the edge of the pages could say (if anything) but should be sprayed. The book's dustjacket colour could be brown, similar to the first edition. 

So that's how a matching edition of Unfinished Tales could turn out. It's unlikely that one would exist in this format, though HarperCollins has surprised us a few times in the past (see some of my posts in the past: for when they were written and what they were about) and it would be neat to see an edition match the others. Though it's great that we have the 'main three' in the format. 

The History of Middle-earth: Boxed Set I Announced

 

Recently, it was announced that The History of Middle-earth 12-book series (13, which includes Index) will be getting new hardback editions. 

Thanks to various posters and users on the TCG (Tolkien Collector Guide) forums and Reddit, I have further info to pass along as well. 

This is the first of four boxed sets coming out. What follows is the official description (and ISBN) for set 1 of 4:

First in a series of hardback boxed sets celebrating the literary achievement of Christopher Tolkien, featuring double-sided dustjackets. Set 1 contains special editions of THE SILMARILLION and UNFINISHED TALES reproducing the first edition text, together with the two volumes of THE BOOK OF LOST TALES.

The Silmarillion is an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien’s World. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them, such as Elrond and Galadriel, took part. The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-Earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor.

Unfinished Tales is a collection of narratives ranging in time from the Elder Days of Middle-earth and the rise of Númenor in the Second Age to the end of the War of the Ring, and provides those who have read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with a whole collection of background and new stories from the twentieth century’s most acclaimed popular author.

The Book of Lost Tales stands at the beginning of the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor for the Tales were the first form of the myths and legends that came to be called The Silmarillion. Embedded in English legend and English association, they are set in the narrative frame of a great westward voyage over the Ocean by a mariner named Eriol to the lonely Isle where the Elves dwelt; from them he learned their true history, the Lost Tales of Elfinesse.

In the two volumes of the Tales are found the earliest accounts of Gods and Elves, Dwarves, Balrogs and Orcs; of the Silmarils and the Two Trees of Valinor; of the geography and cosmology of Tolkien’s invented world.

Published together for the first time, these four books collect the beginning of Christopher Tolkien’s forty-year career devoted to presenting his father J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings on Middle-earth, a unique accomplishment that celebrates the greatest invented world in all of fantasy literature.

ISBN: 9780008663162

Now, for the further info:

Boxed set #2

Release Date UK : TBC (HarperCollins)
ISBN TBC

Contents

• The Lays of Beleriand
  
• The Shaping of Middle-earth
  
• The Lost Road and Other Writings
  

Boxed set #3

Release Date UK : TBC (HarperCollins)
ISBN TBC

Contents

• The Return of the Shadow
  
• The Treason of Isengard
  
• The War of the Ring
  
• Sauron Defeated
  

Boxed set #4

Release Date UK : TBC (HarperCollins)
ISBN TBC

Contents

• Morgoth's Ring
  
• The War of the Jewels
  
• The Peoples of Middle-earth
  
• Index

[Hypothetical]

Boxed Set #5:

Contents:

~ The Children of Hurin
~ Beren and Luthien
~ The Fall of Gondolin

There is also a Great Tales boxed set, with a publication date of 2025 - however this has been floating around since 2019 so it could be a 'false' listing.

Further, as of this moment, some have been stating that none of the books in these sets will be available separately....a bizarre choice, as whenever there's a Lord of the Rings / Hobbit + Lord of the Rings set those titles are also available separately. 

Now the big obvious thing: why are The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales included in the first set? Many believe that this is a 'History of Middle-earth' set when it's really a 'Christopher Tolkien' set. As such, with that approach, it makes sense to include those two works. Also, it should be noted that they are not illustrated (so they'll be physically smaller) than the illustrated editions....so swapping the illustrated ones into the set won't be a an option. It should be noted that these editions of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales will use 'correct' page number references. IMO, if they're doing a new set of History of Middle-earth, why not re-do the numbering?? 

With two sets of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales in a similar format, what should new Tolkien fans do, or what editions should they get? Well, as we can see, the box matches the Alan Lee-illustrated Hobbit + Lord of the Rings boxed set from 2020. Here's the photo for reference:

So, I believe the best, most 'clear-cut' approach would be this: get the Alan Lee set, so you get The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, then get the Christopher Tolkien sets 1-4. Boxed Set 1 includes The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, so you'd get them from that set. The only real downside would be that they won't be illustrated. However, if you're getting these Christopher sets, I believe the focus would be on the text and contents, not the artwork. Getting the Ted Nasmith illustrated Silmarillion and Trinity (Nasmith, Lee and Howe) illustrated Unfinished Tales would be for more 'casual' (not meant as an insult) fans, who aren't interested in diving that deep with Tolkien. Of course, the illustrated hardbacks came out in 2020/21 so a good number of fans already have those editions. 

Now, for some speculation for future box designs. We can see the cover image of The Silmarillion adorning a panel of the boxed set (this image by John Howe: https://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=288 ) Following this pattern, it would be likely that one of the panels for Boxed Set 2 will be this image: https://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=964 , one of the panels for Boxed Set 3 to be this https://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=94&mode=search , and lastly one for Boxed Set 4 to be this: https://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=977 . I also find it interesting that for the cover of The Silmarillion included in Boxed Set 1 that they aren going with isn't this one: https://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/details.php?image_id=287

Oh, and as a reminder: two other key titles related to these would be The History of The Hobbit and The Nature of Middle-earth.  (see below)

I'm glad that HarperCollins is offering The History of Middle-earth in this format: there are now very few titles that won't be offered in the new, matte, dustjacket style - yet. Most of the Tolkien books will now be offered in fully matching editions (cover design-wise: some are illustrated, some have ribbon-markers, coloured ink, etc....). I truly hope that this won't hurt the sales (as typically anything Tolkien sells really well) but I'm personally going to wait until all 4 sets are out before I can even begin to form an opinion on wanting them, etc. This stems from my thought of waiting for an entire TV season to be finished before watching, waiting for all title in a book series to be out before investing, etc. As it stands, I already have The History of Middle-earth series; so chances of me getting these are very slim. But once all 4 are out, who knows what may happen? They may be offered individually, in which case I'd be able to forego the editions of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales included in Boxed Set 1, reducing the cost to get those books by about half.  What I mean, is an opportunity presents itself, I may take it. Though I do not see that happening. But hey, if I accumualte enough plum points, gift cards, etc....

Are my 'Tolkien collecting' days over?? No...though space is beginning to get an issue. Even with more shelves, a larger home....I'm starting to see my limits and 'The End.' That is to say, even if I did have the space, would I get everything I think is nice? No. I'll likely get some Tolkien titles that are actually new (ie, the way that The Fall of Numenor and The Battle of Maldon are 'new' but the illustrated by the author series isn't.).

I'll still continue to follow and report on Tolkien news and titles. My daughter may inherit my interest, so she may get some future editions, though I have some set aside for her specifically already.....  

It's great that so many options exist, though throughout my blogging history on Tolkien, I hope to offer a bit of clarity if some find that there's too many options to choose from. 

Happy Hobbit Day!

 

Well, it's Hobbit Day! 

That is the most celebrated day (and the week, as well) across the Tolkien fandom. How one celebrates is entirely up to them. It can range anywhere from going on a nice nature walk, having a cup of tea, having a hobbit-y meal (complete with ale). Some make a day of it, with doing marathons of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, etc.

However you celebrate, let's take a look at the book at which the day is named after (note that day isn't named after "THE" Hobbit, the book, but rather the race in Tolkien's worlds). The Hobbit was responsible for The Lord of the Rings existing, so, in a way, it was really The Hobbit that re-defined the fantasy genre. Not to undermine The Lord of the Rings, but if The Hobbit didn't exist first..... 


So there are a few ways to celebrate, book-wise. 

Of course, one can (re)read the book itself, or examine some titles about it or related to it. 

There are a wide variety of editions available (more info on those at the end of the post so that you can carry on reading it) but worthy of mention this year are a few. 

First up, we have The Hobbit joining the 'illustrated by the author' series, of which The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion belong to.

The Hobbit may very well be the final title available in this format, but we'll see what HarperCollins does in the future. Is an Unfinished Tales in this format viable? Will next year (or the year after) see a Lord of the Rings 70th Anniversary Edition modelled after the standard hardback? (split into 3 physical books with the same 'features' as the 2021 edition and boxed with the Companion). Anyway, back to The Hobbit. It is available in both standard hardback and slipcased editions. US fans, the slipcased edition will likely be offered next year, as has been par the course so far. (Your slipcased Silmarillion is due out pretty much any time now.)





Earlier this year, The History of The Hobbit has also been re-printed. Please note that this a re-print, not a new edition. The only visual difference between this and the original 2011 edition is the change of dustjacket imagery, and the colour of the ribbon-marker. Elsewise, it's pretty much identical. What is new, however, is that it was also released as a slipcased edition. 


There are also some other Hobbit-related books worth taking note of, those two aside.



While I don't believe it's no longer physically in print, Corey Olsen's Exploring The Hobbit is well-worth your time. It's available as an eBook and as an audiobook. Given Olsen's podcasting experience as well experience speaking overall, I'd recommend the audiobook, as it would feel like a special episode of one his podcasts because of that. 



Another title worthy of attention is The Art of The Hobbit. There will likely be some overlap between this and the 'illustrated by the author' edition of The Hobbit. If you own this title, you likely have all the artwork that will appear in that edition, as well as any text from Hammond & Scull that may be used to introduce that edition. I guess what I'm trying to say is that portions of this book are integrated into the 'illustrated by the author' edition, much like we saw with The Art of The Lord of the Rings compared to its 'illustrated by the author edition'.  



There is also a segment in Unfinished Tales which may be of interest with regards to The Hobbit: Part Three: The Third Age 'The Quest of Erebor.' This was initially intended to a be part of the Appendices in The Lord of the Rings, but didn't appear in full due to space. Perhaps someday it will appear in the Appendices as intended.....?

So however you choose to celebrate, enjoy your Hobbit Day! I'm done for now, but below I'll list some suggested editions of The Hobbit, as well as indicate if they match other Tolkien books, or are a 'one-off' (unique edition, black sheep edition, etc.) for those interested in having a book that could be part of a set, so to speak.


Here are some other noteworthy editions of The Hobbit:



Standard paperback: 9780261103344.

This edition is nothing special, but is the current standard paperback, which also has matching editions of the other Middle-earth books.

Alan Lee illustrated edition: 9780008376116

The Alan Lee illustrated edition, in its latest release. Like the standard paperback above, this edition also compliments other Tolkien books. Could very well be the overall best edition in print as of this writing.



Clarion's slipcased edition, 9780395177112

This is a nice slipcased edition. It offers nothing overly special, but its presentation is quite nice. Many slipcased editions of Tolkien's works are - in my opinion - about 25% more expensive than they should be, going solely on MSRP. This is a great way to get a nice edition of The Hobbit without costing too much to do it.



Facsimile Gift Set, 9780008259549

This is a special anniversary edition. It features a facsimile of the original first edition of The Hobbit, along with a host of other goodies, such as a booklet about the book's history, and an audio CD of Tolkien reading from it. It's nice to see the publisher offer more goodies in a special release than just the book! 

As you can see, book-wise there are a few ways to celebrate Hobbit Day :) For me the main thing is to keep Tolkien in my heart more-so today than usual: go on a walk in nature, stop in at a pub for a beer....things like that. 

However you celebrate, Happy Hobbit Day! 

THE HOBBIT 'Illustrated by the Author' Editions Officially Revealed

 I have been holding off on this post until the slipcased edition had been revealed (cover art, description, ISBN).

Some may go 'but wait! aren't most editions of The Hobbit already illustrated by Tolkien??' Indeed, many do feature some of the artwork he created for the book. Some of the artwork he created. This new edition greatly expands on the included imagery, as well printing the text in two colours, as well as a ribbon-marker (likely white for the standard edition, and green for the slipcased edition.)

Following the 'illustrated by the author' series that began with The Lord of the Rings and continued with The Silmarillion, now The Hobbit will be among them, in terms of design and style. You'll see in this post.

As is my usual custom, I'll provide the cover art, ISBN and description below for both the standard edition and the slipcased one.



ISBN: ‎ 9780008627782

For the first time ever, a special enhanced edition of the enchanting prelude to The Lord of the Rings, illustrated throughout with over 50 sketches, drawings, paintings and maps by J. R. R. Tolkien himself and with the complete text printed in two colours.

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon…

Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit was published on 21 September 1937. With a beautiful cover design, a handful of black & white drawings and two maps by the author himself, the book became an instant success and was reprinted shortly afterwards with five colour plates.

Tolkien’s own selection of finished paintings and drawings have become inseparable from his text, adorning editions of The Hobbit for more than 85 years. But the published art has afforded only a glimpse of Tolkien’s creative process, and many additional sketches, coloured drawings and maps – although exhibited and published elsewhere – have never appeared within the pages of The Hobbit.

In this unique enhanced edition of Tolkien’s enchanting classic tale, the full panoply of his art is reproduced for the first time, presenting more than 50 illustrations to accompany Bilbo Baggins on his adventure ‘there and back again’.



ISBN: 9780008627836

For the first time ever, a beautiful slipcased edition of the enchanting prelude to The Lord of the Rings, illustrated throughout with over 50 sketches, drawings, paintings and maps by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, with the complete text printed in two colours and with many bonus features unique to this edition.

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon…

Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit was published on 21 September 1937. With a beautiful cover design, a handful of black & white drawings and two maps by the author himself, the book became an instant success and was reprinted shortly afterwards with five colour plates.

Tolkien’s own selection of finished paintings and drawings have become inseparable from his text, adorning editions of The Hobbit for more than 85 years. But the published art has afforded only a glimpse of Tolkien’s creative process, and many additional sketches, coloured drawings and maps – although exhibited and published elsewhere – have never appeared within the pages of The Hobbit.

In this unique enhanced edition of Tolkien’s enchanting classic tale, the full panoply of his art is reproduced for the first time, presenting more than 50 illustrations to accompany Bilbo Baggins on his adventure ‘there and back again’.

Unique to this edition are two poster-size, fold-out maps revealing all the detail of Thror’s Map and Wilderland, an illustrated 88-page booklet, and a printed art card reproducing Tolkien’s original dustjacket painting.

It is additionally quarterbound in green leather, with raised ribs on the spine, stamped in three foils on black cloth boards, and housed in a custom-built clothbound slipcase. The pages are edged in gold and include a ribbon marker.
 

The slipcased edition looks pretty much how I'd imagine it, though I was kind of hoping that the page-edging would be done in bronze or copper, as gold was already 'taken' by The Lord of the Rings. That's really the only thing I'm not too happy with, and even then, it's incredibly minor.

If you own The Art of The Hobbit, you have an idea on what to expect, though here are some preview images: (they had to be shrunk a bit to fit within the confines of the blog page)

Wishful Thinking: The History of Middle-earth 40th Anniversary Editions

 

This October marks 40th years since The History of Middle-earth book series began with The Book of Lost Tales: Part 1.

To celebrate, I have an idea for the publisher, HarperCollins, to do. Please note that the following is speculation only. HarperCollins, if you're reading, please do ahead with these if it's in the cards to begin with. 

Each of the 13 (12 + the Index) books will get published as 13 individual hardbacks. These hardbacks would feature the same imagery by John Howe (some of which appears in this post) that adorns the current paperback counterparts. The dustjacket would be arranged and designed in such a manner to match the latest Tolkien hardbacks, such as The Fall of Numenor and The Nature of Middle-earth. Much like The Nature of Middle-earth, there won't be any artwork inside - the only imagery would be what's currently available inside the 12 books.

Each of these hardbacks would be available on their own, and there would be 3 boxed sets (of the same editions). These boxed sets would mirror the 3-part omnibus editions, and would be as follows:

BOXED SET I:



The Book of Lost Tales: Part 1
The Book of Lost Tales: Part 2
The Lays of Beleriand
The Shaping of Middle-earth
The Lost Road and Other Writings

BOXED SET II: