The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien

George Allen & Unwin, 1977

This is the RARE Export Edition, considered the TRUE FIRST. A very 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 textured paper (no priority determined), with dark blue/white headbands and dark-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

Lightest bumping to spine ends and the two corners of the front board. Light fading to top edge with one or two spots of foxing to fore edge. Very small penned inscription to top-left corner of the copyright page (letter 'B' underlined). Else a very good copy with clean covers and spine, with clear and bright stamping on spine of title, author, publisher and heraldic device of Lúthien Tinúviel, and with binding nice and square. Complete with map.

Unclipped dust wrapper only has a small stain to the lower portion of the spine (mainly visible on the inside, but slightly noticeable on the outside as well), light creasing to extremities, and only two small chips. Perhaps the slightest fading to spine, purely based on the colour of the lettering on the spine as opposed to the front panel which differ only slightly in colour, but please judge for yourself as we have included photographs of the dust wrapper in excellent light.

The dust wrapper has now been placed in a removable, protective sleeve of archival quality.