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The Hobbit
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Hobbit Hardcover - 1978

by J. R. R. Tolkien


About this book

The Hobbit tells the famous story of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who is caught up in the affairs of wizards. His journey through Mirkwood and the climactic confrontation with the dragon Smaug served as the launching point for Tolkien's transformative trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. Many of the essential elements of Tolkien's classic saga have their roots in this children's book.

The story remains popular, and stands as one of the most enduring (and endearing) stories of the last century. The Hobbit sparked a creative explosion in speculative fiction, a fire that burns brightly to this day. The revival in interest in recent years, in part due to the popularity of the film series inspired by Tolkien's books only shows the timelessness of his story, and the importance of his work.

First Edition Identification

The first impression of the first edition ran as a limited printing of 1500 copies, published by George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1937. Authentic copies with the dust jacket will include a well known hand correction, in black ink, of a misspelling of the last name of Reverend Charles Dodgson (better known as Lewis Carroll) on the back flap. A first edition, first printing of the original U.K. edition can run over $40,000. Signed copies of this edition have been appraised at over $100,000 U.S. Later printings of the first edition also retain much value for collectors. The first U.S. Edition, printed in 1938 by Houghton Mifflin Company, is prized and is commonly sold to collectors at prices well over $2,000. Chips to the cover, a missing dustcover, wear to the spine, and damage to the map in the endpaper, are some of the more common flaws for this book. 

Details

  • Title The Hobbit
  • Author J. R. R. Tolkien
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition Fourth Edition
  • Pages 256
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Allen & Unwin, London
  • Date 1978
  • ISBN 9780048231475
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More Copies for Sale

The Hobbit or There and Back Again
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The Hobbit or There and Back Again

by Tolkien, J. R. R.

  • Used
  • good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Good
Edition
FOURTH EDITION
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780048231475 / 0048231479
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Daisy Hill, Queensland, Australia
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$39.71
$35.08 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
London, United Kingdom: George Allen & Unwin, 1978. Water marks to boards and inside of jacket. Endpaper maps. 315 pages with colour and b/w illustrations. . FOURTH EDITION. Hard Cover. Good/Good. Illus. by Illustrated By the Author. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.
Item Price
$39.71
$35.08 shipping to USA
The Hobbit or There and Back Again
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Hobbit or There and Back Again

by TOLKIEN J R R

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Very Good
Edition
Fourth Edition
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780048231475 / 0048231479
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$150.60
$36.14 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
London: George Allen & Unwin, 1982 third impression of the fourth edition, map end papers and colour plate illustrations by Tolkien, green cloth boards with gilt to spine, DW is NOT price clipped and hs price sticker over published price, otherwise tidy excepting the edges of the sleeve have adhesive tape which has bled slightly to the top and bottom edges of the DW and has caused a darkening of the paper there ( just to very few millimetres at the edge), a few tiny spots from the adhesive to the fep top and bottom margins, 256pp + plates. Fourth Edition. Cloth. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by J R R Tolkien. 8vo - over 7? - 9? tall.
Item Price
$150.60
$36.14 shipping to USA
The Hobbit or There and Back Again

The Hobbit or There and Back Again

by TOLKIEN J R R

  • Used
  • very good
  • Hardcover
Condition
Used - Very Good
Edition
Fourth Edition
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780048231475 / 0048231479
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
$150.60
$36.14 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
London: George Allen & Unwin, 1978 first impression of the fourth edition, map end papers and colour plate illustrations by Tolkien, green cloth boards with gilt to spine, DW is price clipped otherwise tidy under a removable plastic sleeve, the edges of the sleeve have adhesive tape which has bled slightly to the top and bottom edges of the DW and has caused a darkening of the paper there ( just to very few millimetres at the edge), a few tiny spots from the adhesive to the fep top and bottom margins, 256pp + plates. Fourth Edition. Cloth. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by J R R Tolkien. 8vo - over 7? - 9? tall.
Item Price
$150.60
$36.14 shipping to USA