~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Title The Lord of The Rings The Fellowship Of The Ring; The Two Towers; The Return Of The King. [First Edition, Fourth and Second Impressions – Full Leather Bindings] ____________________ Author J. R. R. Tolkien ______________________ Year of Publication 1955 __________________________ Publisher London: George Allen & Unwin. ______________________________ For full description see below - after all photographs ___________________________________________ Description: London: George Allen & Unwin, Ltd. 1955, Fourth, Second and Second Impressions. First Edition, Fourth, Second and Second Impressions. 8vo. Finely rebound in full red Morocco leather with the “Eye of Sauron” to each front board in gilt on black leather, titles in gilt to the spine. A most attractive set of Tolkien's three Landmark Books: The Fellowship of the Ring, First Edition, Fourth Impression, November 1955; The Two Towers, First Edition, Second Impression, 1955; The Return of the King, First Edition, Second Impression, November 1955. All volumes complete with folded maps of Middle Earth tipped in at the rear of the volumes (see photos). Tolkien began The Lord of the Rings between 16 and 19 December 1937, three months after The Hobbit was published and George Allen & Unwin were encouraging Tolkien, against his inclination, to write a sequel. The rest is history. As C. S. Lewis commented: "If Ariosto rivalled it in invention (in fact he does not) he would still lack its heroic seriousness. No imaginary world has been projected which is at once so multifarious and so true to its own inner laws; none so seemingly objective, so disinfected from the taint of the author's merely individual psychology, no so relevant to the actual human situation yet so free from allegory. And what fine shading there is in the variations of style to meet the almost endless diversity of scenes and characters - comic, homely, epic, monstrous, or diabolic." All three volumes housed in a custom made slip case. 423pp, folding map; 352pp, folding map; 416pp, folding map. Slipcase approximately 9 ½ inches tall. Books approximately 9 inches tall. Condition Report Externally Spine – very good condition – gilt titles to plain morocco spine.Joints – very good condition.Corners – very good condition.Boards – very good condition – gilt and black leather ‘Eye of Sauron’ to the front of plain morocco goatskin boards.Page edges – very good condition – top edges original red colour, others gently tanned.See above and photos. Internally Hinges – very good condition.Paste downs – very good condition – marbled paper.End papers – very good condition – marbled.Title – very good condition – lightly tanned.Pages – very good condition – lightly tanned throughout.Binding – very good condition. See photos. Publisher: see above. Publication Date: 1955 Binding: Hardback _________________________________________ Louis88Books are members of the PBFA. We take great pride in photographing all our books, maps and prints and in describing every detail. If, for any reason, you are dissatisfied with your purchase, we offer a 100% money back guarantee provided the item is returned in the same condition as sent. Please e-mail me for extra photographs and with any questions you may have Ruler in picture is 6 inches long. ---------------------------- Please Browse all other books and prints in my Shop Thank you. LOUIS88Books Preserving books for the next generation