Description
Offered for sale is a very attractive UK hardback copy of The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, published by George Allen & Unwin in 1966. This is the Third Edition, first impression of that edition (sixteenth overall impression), complete with the original, unclipped dust jacket.
Bibliographic Details
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Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
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Title: The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
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Publisher: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., London
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Date: 1966
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Edition: Third Edition
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Impression: First impression of the Third Edition (Sixteenth overall)
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Illustrations: Illustrated by the author
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Dust Jacket: Present, original, price unclipped (21s net)
Condition
Book:
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Clean green cloth boards with bright blue dragon device
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No inscriptions or bookplates
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Maps present and intact
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Colour plates present and clean
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No foxing observed
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Tight binding, clean text block
Dust Jacket:
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Original Allen & Unwin jacket
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Price unclipped
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Bright colours with minimal wear
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Light handling wear only; no restoration noted
About J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973) was an Oxford scholar and philologist, best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. His work laid the foundations of modern fantasy literature and continues to influence writers, artists, and filmmakers worldwide. Tolkien’s deep interest in language, mythology, and medieval literature shaped the richly imagined world of Middle-earth, making his books enduring classics of 20th-century literature.
History of This Edition
The Hobbit was first published in 1937 and proved so popular that it went through multiple impressions and revisions. The Third Edition, issued in 1966, reflects Tolkien’s final intended text and was printed at a time when interest in Middle-earth was surging due to the success of The Lord of the Rings.
Importantly, when Allen & Unwin issued the Third Edition, they continued the overall impression numbering rather than restarting it. As a result, the first printing of the Third Edition is numbered “Sixteenth Impression.” For this reason, bibliographers and collectors correctly describe this book as:
Third Edition, first impression (16th overall impression)
This is the earliest printing of the Third Edition and is the most desirable state of this edition for collectors.
Dimensions:
Weight - 456g
Height - 19.4cm
Width - 13.3cm
Thickness - 3cm
