The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings trilogy, comprising The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, by J. R. R. Tolkien. 

London: George Allen & Unwin. First editions, early impressions, the fourteenth, eleventh and eleventh impressions respectively, all printed in 1965. Complete in three volumes. Octavo (23 x 15 x 10cm), pp.423 [1]; pp.352; pp.416. With a folding map at the rear of each volume. Publisher's dark red cloth, title and decorative ring stamped on spine in gilt, plain endpapers, edges trimmed, top edge stained red, fore- and bottom edges unstained. With the grey wove paper dust wrappers, lettered to front and spine and with the "Ring and Eye" device in black, red and gold.

The three volumes are in similar condition overall, but are individually described below for accuracy and photographed extensively.

The Fellowship of the Ring (Fourteenth impression, 1965). The book itself is externally in very clean condition with very bright gilt lettering. There is light bumping and wear to spine tips and corners (with a small amount of fraying to head of spine), the lightly tanned edges show a few small stains, and the top edge is brightly red coloured with a handful of spots of wear. Binding itself is tight with no loose pages, with spine a little cocked. There is a previous owner's inscription penned to front paste-down dated 1965 and light offsetting to FEPs. Complete with map in excellent, perhaps only mildly tanned, condition. The unclipped dust wrapper is tanned to spine, joints and extremities, has a few small stains on both covers and spine, a few large closed tears (one between rear flap and panel, one to the joint between spine and rear flap), a few small closed tears and nibbles to extremities, as well as a little loss to spine and joint tips.

The Two Towers (Eleventh impression, 1965). Good minus, ex-library example. The book itself is externally in clean condition with bright gilt lettering. There is visible wear to boards and partly to spine (towards the lower third only, which has slightly affected the 'Allen' and 'Unwin' words), tape marks left behind to top and bottom parts of both covers, with bumping and wear to spine tips and corners. The edges are a little stained in placed and the top edge, while unfaded, shows a few additional marks and hairline marks and scratches. Binding itself is tight (although not very!) with the spine heavily cocked. Ex-library marks, tape/sticker residue, stamps and penned writing are present to front paste-down and FEP, a further stamp and small scribble to title page, and two tape marks to rear FEP that is also lightly creased. Throughout, there are a handful of very small ear marks. Complete with map which is in very good, perhaps slightly tanned, condition, with only a small closed tear, as pictured (not affecting map content). The unclipped dust wrapper is a little tanned to spine, joints and extremities, nibbled slightly to extremities with a little loss to head of spine, and has a few stains to spine and a small one to front panel.

The Return of the King (Eleventh impression, 1965). The book itself is externally in very clean condition with very bright gilt lettering. There is a little bumping and a small amount of wear and bumping to spine tips and corners, a little bubbling towards the foot of spine, the edges show foxing and tanning, particularly to fore edge, and the top edge is lightly faded and a bit marked. Binding itself is strong with the spine ever-so-slightly cocked. There is a penciled figure to FFEP which could be erased, a little offsetting to front and rear FEPs, and ear marks to pages 25 and 27. Complete with map in very good condition, albeit lightly tanned. The price-clipped dust wrapper is ever-so-slightly tanned to spine, creased and nibbled to extremities, with a very tiny amount of loss to head of spine.

All dust wrappers have now been placed in archival wrappers for protection and all closed tears are held in place well and tightly. A nice set.