How about a fake dustjacket?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TOLKIEN-The-Two ... |65%3A3|39%3A1|240%3A1318

How about this one.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Tolkien-Trilogy ... |65%3A3|39%3A1|240%3A1318

Not even the flimsy slipcase.

As if by magic 'Tree and Leaf' appears on the site.

http://tolkien.co.uk/Beyond_Middle-Earth/pages/home.aspx

Text of the letter

"My dear Higgins,
Thank you for your greetings
again this Yule.
I have been busy with the help of my
secretary, charging ahead with the re-
examination of an age old project called
the Silmarillion.
Your interest in my iliterary efforts
will no doubt result in a signed copy one
day as a sign of my gratitude for your
efforts in diagnoses. Of which, the world
must know nothing, as we agreed.
Yes, it would be pleasant to see you
in Oxford on the 25th. I am looking forward
to showing you around the old place.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely,
J.R.R. Tolkien"

Sadly, as appears now to be the norm for HarperCollins, you can't buy the book on their website because they have not listed it. www.tolkien.co.uk seems to have a very limited range of books, by no means all that are available from HarperCollins.

I find it difficult to believe that no-one from HarperCollins looks at this site, they could be so much better by asking and listening to visitors to the site for guidance.

I hope they can by end of this month (March 2009) give us a chance to buy it at the reduced price.

UPDATE

It is possible to buy it now.

http://tolkien.co.uk/Beyond_Middle-Earth/pages/home.aspx