The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien

George Allen & Unwin, 1977

This is the RARE Export Edition, considered the TRUE FIRST. A good condition book in a near-fine, unclipped dust wrapper which lacks the price on its front flap. Printed by William Clowes and Sons. This is the variant bound in dark-blue cloth, with blue and white headbands and blue stained top edge. Comes in the blue coloured dust wrapper. Includes the misprints on pp. 330, l. 4 ('Fëanor' for 'Fëanor.') and 352, l. 39 ('Lord of Waters and King of the Sea' for 'Lord of Waters and King of the Sea') which have been corrected in later impressions. (Hammond, J. R. R. Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography, p. 214-215).

This variant is among the rarer ones of the first printings of this book and is generally considered to be the FIRST STATE.

Condition

A little bumping to spine ends and the two corners of the front board and transfer of title from the dust jacket to spine (only seen in excellent light). Fading to top edge. Handling wear and foxing to edges. Text block slightly cocked. Foxing and a little offsetting to prelims. Traces left behind to front and rear paste-downs and endpapers from tape, including a little pen mark to corner of FFEP and some wear left behind after previous inscriptions were scratched off on the FFEP. Complete with map at the end that is a little creased and has a 1/2 part torn. Else a good copy with clean covers and spine, with clear and bright stamping on spine of title, author, publisher and heraldic device of Lúthien Tinúviel.

Unclipped dust wrapper shows light creases and peeling, with a 1/2 cm portion of loss to head of front panel and light sunning to spine. The dust wrapper has now been placed in a removable, protective sleeve of archival quality.

A true international edition with a bookseller's mark to rear paste-down - "Fogarty's Port Elizabeth" - meaning the book made its way back to England from a South African bookshop.